A Daydream Away
by finally-alive
Summary: Thirty-four days. Thirty-four days it took for Cammie and Zach to meet, fall for each other, break apart, and do it all over again. In which trying not to hurt the ones we love is more important that not hurting ourselves... Zammie/OoC; AU -non-spy
1. Prologue

**a/n: I know it's been awhile, but I come with a new story for the new year :) I might delete "****let's dance in slow motion****" but I'm definitely continuing "****My Escape****." Anyway, this story will be updated regularly (I hope) and the chapters will be at a good length. Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you're have a great holiday season! Don't forget: count your blessings, not your problems! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter. I do not own any brand names/song titles/ movie titles/ etcetera mentioned in this story. So yeah, disclaimed. **

**Rating: Strong T for alcohol consumption, sexual references, language, mature themes. Yeah, you've been warned. Loljk, this story isn't THAT bad. **

**Here we go: **

_A Daydream Away_

**( day 00 )**_  
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Cammie Morgan walked through the crowds of dancing bodies to find her way to a drink. She was dying of thirst and boredom at her father's annual New Year's Eve party. It was -once again- held on top of her father's thirty-four story company building with all his workers, clients, and friends attending. Cammie made her way through the same boring faces she saw every year, as loud music blared from large speakers set up in the corners. She was uncomfortably pressed against two dancing bodies, trying to look for the refreshment table. Once she saw a long table with a gold table cloth and drinks on it, she pushed passed people, not really caring who she hit.

She made it free, stretching out her arms and reached to grab a cup. A glass punch bowl sat in the middle next to a Champagne fountain, surrounded by dozens and dozens of bottles and cans of beverages. Cammie looked into the punch bowl, but only a small rim of red liquid sat inside.

"Damn," Cammie scowled and quickly picked up all the drinks at the table, hoping they'd be full. But they weren't. "Damn!" Cammie muttered again, tossing a can of Sprite aside.

"Don't tell me they're out of drinks already?" A voice asked behind her.

Cammie, who was shaking a glass bottle of empty root beer, turned around to meet a pair of gorgeous green eyes. This guy was gorgeous; he was sporting dark jeans, a pair of dress shoes, a white v-neck, and a slick black blazer. His face was chiseled to perfection like a Greek god and his hair was spiked up in a _Charlie St. Cloud__-_Zac Efron kind of way. His nice lips were in a crooked smile that made Cammie's heart beat at a 100 miles per hour.

Cammie cleared her throat, hoping her silence didn't give him the wrong message. "Well, sadly." She smiled sheepishly and turned over the empty bottle she was holding. Nothing came out.

"That sucks," he frowned and walked over to the Champagne fountain and grabbed a full glass. He looked over at Cammie, "Want a sip?"

Cammie took the glass from him and gently took a sip. The guy watched her for a moment then looked out into the night sky, "I'm Zach."

Cammie set the drink down gently on the table, "Hey, I'm Cammie." She smiled and hoped she didn't look stupid.

"Want to get some air?" Zach asked, looking back at her with those heart-warming eyes. Cammie was about to point out that they were _outdoors _and air was pretty much everywhere. But she didn't bother to argue with him as he walked the opposite direction. She even followed him.

He walked through the crowds of people all the way to the building's edge with metal railings. He looked over at her and smiled, "it's beautiful at night." He said and looked over onto the skyline and the small city that slept underneath it.

Cammie smiled, folding her arms across her chest as the night grew cold and crisp. Zach quickly shrugged off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders. "Better?"

"Much," Cammie replied and took in his scent off his jacket. "So, why is this the first time I'm seeing you here?"

"Oh, do you come to these things often?" He asked.

Cammie smiled again, "Yeah, well, it's kind of mandatory when my dad hosts these things."

Zach raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh shit, really?"

Cammie nodded back and watched as red fireworks burst into the air from a distance. It was so pretty, her favorite thing about New Year's had be the fireworks that exploded in the air and the noise that came along with it. Everyone was just so alive, so happy. Everyone was just ready to forget all the mistakes they made the previous year. It was a new year, time for change. Maybe change was what Cammie needed to make her incredibly dull life more exciting.

"So, I guess I can never see you ever again, huh?" Zach asked with a sly smirk on his face. It was kind of really hot.

Cammie looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I kind of just snuck into this party," Zach admitted, "My friends and I are going to this hotel party in an hour or so, but I got bored waiting… So…"

"Oh." Cammie's face went blank as she stared at Zach. It was one thing to randomly hang out with a guy you thought worked with your dad; it was another to hang out with a complete stranger.

"Are you going to bust me?" Zach smirked, almost tauntingly at her.

Cammie thought about it. Okay, she was pretty much the purest girl in the world. She couldn't help it. She never broke curfew, she never disobeyed her father, she never got bad grades, and she never would have the guts to sneak into an uninvited party.

But it was time for a change, it was time for boring old Cammie to leave and for someone more fun to enter. So instead of calling security, she just smiled at Zach. "Nope, but you need to get me a drink. A real one."

Zach raised his eyebrows curiously.

::

"So, you're a junior?" Cammie asked as she watched Zach unscrew a wine bottle. It wasn't a virgin bottle either, it was hardcore liquor. She bit her bottom, well-glossed lip a bit nervous. She's never had a serious drink before. Sure, she's tried wine and Champagne, but those were amateur drinks.

Zach nodded, "Yup." Once the bottle cap came off, he took a long swig at the liquor. The two were seated at the far end of the roof, right behind the large billboard that spelled Cammie's father's company name. No one would be able to see them, but Cammie doubted anyone would care; half the people were already drunk and delirious.

Zach offered the bottle to Cammie and she took it hesitantly. Zach drank so calmly and coolly, it was obvious he's had a drink before. Perfect, the day before the New Year, Cammie meets a bad boy. Was this some sign of fate or something? Maybe it was a sign she needed a different lifestyle.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she took a long, strong gulp. It felt funny, kind of like it was burning down her throat as she swallowed.

"Whoa, slow down." Zach said and took the bottle away from her.

Cammie chuckled, "Sorry, a little anxious, I guess." She fiddled with the bracelet that wrapped around her slender wrist. "Is this not the first time you've crashed a party?"

Zach shrugged, "Well, let's just say, I don't really care about fancy invites."

Cammie gazed at him for awhile, "Bad boy, huh?" She took the bottle into her hands and took another drink. Cammie hated the taste.

Zach just leaned back onto his elbows and stared into the sky that was lighting up with bursting fireworks. "Let's just say, living on the edge is always more fun that living in a square."

"Aren't you afraid you'll get in trouble?" Cammie asked, lying on her back.

Zach looked down at her, the light from the moon and fireworks framed his perfect features. "Well, that's half the excitement of life, isn't it? Making mistakes and getting in trouble and taking risks. I mean, we're only young once after all."

"Okay guys, it's officially one more minute till the New Year!" The DJ shouted through a microphone and stopped the music. Everyone cheered and immediately stopped dancing. Some guys started launching fireworks off the roof, everyone watched in awe as it exploded in red sparks in the sky.

"Ten… nine… eight..." People began screaming and blowing on noise makers. Despite the noise from her surroundings, Cammie's world stood still. She was a sixteen year old girl and she never really experienced life. Or she never experienced life the way Zach did, on the rebellious side.

_It was a New Year_, she thought and stared at Zach as he took another swig of the liquor bottle.

"Seven… six… five…"

_New Year, it was time for a change_, Cammie also thought as Technicolor confetti flew in the air, raining down on them. Before she knew what she was doing, she pulled onto Zach's collar and looked up into his eyes. His bored back into hers, intensely. "What are you doing?"

"Three… two… HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone cheered and shouted. And in the midst of happy echoing screams, Technicolor confetti dancing in the air, fulminating fireworks that lit up the sky, popped bottles of bubbling Champagne, and the sound of her own beating heart, Cammie whispered, "taking a risk."

And then she kissed him.

**a/n: hey guys! What do you think? I know, I'm a bit rusty. I haven't really written anything since the summer… so yeah. Please review! And have a lovely day! **


	2. day 01

**a/n: thank you lovelies for all the nice reviews! I hope you're all having a great holiday season and don't have any homework like I do D: this story is a bit of AU, so I kind of supplied Jonas and Grant's last names :P **

**Here we go:**

_Two weeks later… _

**( day 01 )  
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Cammie held onto the strap of her canvas messenger bag as she entered the doors to her new school. It wasn't easy being the new kid in the middle of the year, but she really had no other choice. Her dad transferred her out of Gallagher Academy at the end of first semester because she couldn't stand it there anymore. The ugly uniforms, the stuck up bitches, strict teachers, all girl students, and worst of all, Macey McHenry, her ex-best friend.

"Whoa there!" A voice said as Cammie walked right into him, making his books fall to the ground. Cammie's jaw dropped as she fell to her knees and quickly gathered all the loose pages that fell from his notebook. Cammie stacked them all into one messy pile and looked up to meet a pair of dark eyes that hid behind thick wire-frame glasses.

"I'm so sorry!" Cammie said, her face flushed with embarrassment. She stood up slowly just as the guy, did finding she only reached his shoulder. "I'm really sorry!" Cammie said and pushed back hair that fell to her face.

"No worries," The guy flashed a cute smile and took the papers from her. He adjusted his glasses with his index finger as he straightened out his papers and stuffed them back into his book.

"I am usually more coordinated," Cammie said quickly and pulled down the ends of her top. She bit on her lip, hoping he wasn't mad. It's not like she believed in rumors, but Roseville High –the school she was now attending—had a history of "tough kids." Kids that could probably stuff Cammie into a trash can.

The guy just smiled, a small dimple appearing on his left cheek. "Really, it's no problem. I'll see you around, okay?" He looked passed Cammie's shoulder and nodded at a cute redhead. "Hey Liz, wait up!" He raised his hand to wave at the girl, and then walked along with her down the crowded hall.

Cammie watched him go, suddenly wishing she was back in Gallagher where they had a whole school population of 200 students with nice and quiet hallways. Roseville High had over 5,000 students and the hallways were so large, they were the size of Gallagher's classrooms.

But she made the decision to leave, to leave all her bad memories behind. It was a new year and it was time for a change.

"Excuse me?" A female voice tapped Cammie's shoulder. Cammie turned around to meet a pair of beautiful dark, exotic eyes. This girl was literally beautiful. She had flawless skin, thick and wavy dark hair, cat eyes to match, and a body the shape of an hour class.

"Uh… y-yes?" Cammie squeaked, holding onto the strap of her bag for support. Cammie was_ not_ good with confrontation. If this pretty girl wanted to beat her up on her first day, Cammie would probably let her do it.

"You're blocking my locker," the girl replied, looking Cammie up and down as if a predator ready to hunt her prey.

"Oh… "Cammie said looking behind her to see a row of navy blue lockers. "I'm sorry." Cammie quickly moved out of the girl's way and rushed down the hall. She pushed passed all the students who already knew where they needed to go and who the needed to see. Cammie couldn't even find the main office.

Just then, the bell rang and all the swarms of students were rushing down the halls and into classrooms. Cammie sighed. This was going to be a long day.

::

"I called you last night," Bex Baxter smiled over at Zach as he sat on a desk, opposite of hers. "Why didn't you call me back?"

Zach met her eyes and looked at the black digital watch wrapped around his wrist. "Oh, sorry, I was busy last night." He studied her for a minute, Bex has been Zach's on again and off again relationship for the last year. She was hot, controlling, independent, hot, hot, and hot. She had a hypnotizing body and the eyes of a minx. Unluckily, that meant Zach had to stand by and watch Bex flirt with numerous guys at all the parties they attended as a "couple."

"I hope you weren't busy with any other girl," Bex raised an eyebrow, green with envy.

That was another thing. Zach and Bex were _not_ exclusive. In fact, she dated all different kinds of guys and even hooked up with them. But did Zach care? No. Bex was cool and all, but it's not like he was ready to start some serious relationship with her. In fact, he wasn't ready to start any serious relationship with anyone for that matter. But for some reason, she was really possessive over him. Really possessive.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that every girl in the school _wanted_ him and Bex_ hated_ competition. Even if it was something she didn't really care, if someone else wanted it, she'd go after it. Zach always assumed it was some girl thing. Which was probably the reason he hasn't had a serious girlfriend since like, middle school? Girls were crazy, crazy and confusing creatures. Sure, they were cute and they smelled nice and made him very, very happy (in more ways than others) but _they were crazy_.

Zach just shrugged, thankful his US History teacher, Mr. Solomon, entered the room with a medium Starbucks coffee cup and his brown leather brief case. "Good morning class, I hope you had a great winter break because the fun is all over once we get into this classroom." He smiled smugly as the class groaned.

Zach pretended to be interested in everything Mr. Solomon had to say about the class's syllabus just so he could avoid Bex's questioning look. As Mr. Solomon passed out the stacks of papers, the door flew open. Everyone turned to see a petite light brunette girl standing in the doorway with a flustered expression. "Uh hi…" The girl said quietly, it was almost a whisper. She was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and tight dark jeans. They both hugged every curve in her body perfectly. Zach had to admit, she was really cute.

"Yes, are you part of this class?" Mr. Solomon asked and walked over to her. She shyly handed her school schedule and stared down at the Vans on her feet. "Ah," Mr. Solomon nodded, "Well have a seat Miss Morgan. Do you like to be called Cameron?"

"Oh, you can call me Cammie." She nodded, twisting the ends of her straight hair around her finger. "I'm new."

Mr. Solomon nodded, "Well, so is everyone here, this is the first day of second semester after all." He folded back her schedule and handed it to her.

She accepted it into her hands, "Oh, I mean, I'm new to this school."

Mr. Solomon looked at her funnily for a moment, "Well, welcome to Roseville then, Miss Morgan. Class, this is Cammie." He turned to the students and gestured to Cammie, "Please make her at home here."

Cammie smiled awkwardly and waved. Everyone fake smiled and pretended to be excited over a new kid. But come on, get real, Roseville High had a new student almost each week. Grant Newman, one of the guys Zach ate lunch with, wolf whistled, "Hellooo Cammie."

Zach smirked; Grant was willing to get with anyone. Zach watched as Cammie made her way down the aisle of desks to sit next to some blonde girl and that's when he realized. He's seen her before. Zach really couldn't remember where or when, but he's seen those blue eyes before.

Zach looked back at her again, once the class settled down. Almost as if Cammie could feel Zach's eyes on her, she looked up. Her facial expression changed, almost a little shocked to see him. It's obvious he's met her before, but he just couldn't remember.

::

The bell rang for first period to end; everyone packed all their stuff together and got up, rushing to their next class. Cammie took her time putting her books into her bag as she looked at the dark haired and green eyed boy that sat in the front. He was the guy she kissed at the New Year's party. It was him, it was Zach.

Those green eyes, she'd never forget. The way his lips felt on hers, she'd always remember.

Cammie stood up and threw her bag over her shoulder as Zach high-fived some guys that were leaving the room. She walked slowly out of the room behind Zach who was looking through the text book he was holding.

Cammie gulped wondering if she should say hi or something. She reached out to touch his shoulder, but stopped. What was the probability that he'd even remember her? They might one night and she kissed him. No big deal, right? Wrong. It was a huge deal. But he wasn't making some effort to talk to her, so why should she? She'd probably just humiliate herself even more. This was already the worst day of her life. And what if this wasn't the same guy?

As Cammie convinced herself he wasn't the guy, someone called out, "Yo Zach!" which made Cammie stop in her tracks. Zach stopped walking and nodded over at the guy who greeted him. Zach then turned around and caught Cammie staring right at him; he raised an eyebrow, "Are you following me?"

Cammie looked around, making sure he was talking to her. She cleared her throat and pointed at herself, "Are you talking to me?"

Zach smirked, "Yes, girl who is creepily following me to my next class."

Cammie narrowed her eyebrows at him, "I'm not following you! I'm looking for my next class. Chemistry." She showed him her schedule, proving she wasn't a crazy stalker. Zach's smirk never left his face as he snatched it in his hands. "I guess we're going to be classmates again. Where'd you transfer from?" He asked and started walking along.

Cammie followed, "Oh, Gallagher Academy."

"That rich-snotty-private school?"

"It's not a snotty private school!" Cammie protested.

"Right, whatever you say, _Gallagher Girl_."

**a/n: I cannot have a Zammie story without Zach calling her "Gallagher Girl" Teehee. Please leave reviews and have a nice day! **


	3. day 02

**( day 02 )**

Cammie walked down the hallway toward the cafeteria. Now the dreadful question, who was she going to sit with today? She made her way down the long cafeteria line, wondering if she stayed in line long enough, she could avoid eating by herself. It was easy to avoid lunch yesterday; she was called into the main office to fix her transcripts. But today, she needed to eat in the cafeteria. She had no other choice.

In no time, the line moved along and Cammie was already reaching for her tray. She slid it along the tray rail and began choosing her meal.

"Hey pass the peas!" A voice asked behind her. Cammie -who was about to place a cup of fruit on her tray- turned to see the same guy she collided with yesterday. He looked over at the row of peas that were all placed in tiny plastic cups. Cammie reached over to get one and gave it him. "Thanks," He smiled nicely and then studied Cammie's face. "Oh, hey! You're the girl I ran into yesterday, right?"

Cammie nodded slowly, "Uh, yeah, but my given name is Cammie." She smiled, feeling at ease with this stranger. He was the only friendly face she knew in Roseville High (well, except Zach).

"Jonas," He stuck his hand out to her and Cammie shook it. "Are you new here? I've never seen you before."

Cammie nodded, sliding her blue tray down the line and placing a sandwich on it, "Yup, it's my second day here."

Jonas nodded, piling cartons of milk onto his tray of food. "That's cool." When the two made it to the cashier, they both paid separately. Cammie looked onto the large cafeteria, it was big, almost the size of a gymnasium. There were round tables everywhere and even a small six-step staircase that led up to a second level. The second level had windows that reached from the high ceilings and down to the carpeted floors. Bright rays of sunlight shined through, lighting up the whole cafeteria.

"Do you have anyone to eat with?" Jonas asked behind her, carrying his tray.

Cammie turned and blushed. Was it that obvious she had no friends? "Um… not really."

"You could eat with me and my friends," Jonas smiled, understanding Cammie's humiliation.

Cammie nodded, grateful, "Sure, that'd be great!"

Jonas began walking down the crowded cafeteria where students hung out everywhere. He walked all the way to a table almost dead center in the cafeteria and set his tray down. At the table was the redheaded girl that Cammie remembered from the other day. Opposite of the girl was a guy who was typing furiously at his MacBook. "Guys, this is Cammie, she's new in school."

The girl and guy looked and smiled at her politely. The redhead looked over at her and said, "Hey! I'm Liz and this is my younger brother, Preston." Liz smiled, showing off her perfect nice and even teeth. She was really pretty, with her ski slope nose with freckles sprinkled all over in a cute country girl kind of way.

Cammie smiled at her then placed her tray down and took a seat, "Nice to meet you."

Jonas sat down next to Cammie and began pulling the straw off his milk carton, "Are you still playing, Preston?" He looked over at Liz's younger brother, whose eyes were glued to his laptop. Preston mumbled something, furiously tapping at his keys.

"You're going to break that." Liz rolled her eyes at her sibling then looked over at Cammie with a smile, "So, where'd you move from?"

"Oh, Gallagher Academy," Cammie replied.

Liz nodded, "Oh cool! An all-girl school? How was that?"

"Horrible," Cammie had to admit.

Jonas laughed and took a sip of his milk, "Yeah, well, I'm sure with an all-girl school things would get catty."

Before Cammie could reply, a loud boom of laughter echoed from the second level. Cammie looked over to them and saw her US History classmate, Grant, smacking his thigh as he exploded into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Right next to him was Zach, who was smirking, being the obvious reason for Grant's laughter.

Cammie and Zach had two classes together, which was a total of two hours and thirty minutes they had in each other's presence. But even with those two hours and thirty minutes, they never talked except for that incident the previous day when he accused her of being a stalker. Cammie was pretty sure he didn't even remember the New Year's kiss. And she didn't blame him for it, she was pretty sure Zach had a million girls to kiss. He _was_ that good looking.

"Ugh, idiots," Jonas muttered under his breath and opened the bag of chips on his tray. Cammie pulled her gaze away from Zach and looked at Jonas, "What?" She asked, confused.

Jonas met Cammie's eyes and said, "Those guys, the soccer team, they're a bunch of idiots."

"Oh please, they aren't _that_ bad," Liz interjected and took a sip of her banana smoothie.

"You're just defending them because you think they're cute," Jonas rolled his eyes and popped a potato chip into his mouth. Cammie chuckled as she watched Liz glare at him.

Liz stuck her tongue out at him, "I do not!"

"Right, you only think Zach is cute," Jonas muttered, eating another chip.

Cammie raised an eyebrow, full alert, "Zach?"Her Zach? Okay, not _her_ Zach. But the only Zach she knew.

Liz nodded, "Dark hair and green eyes, ugh, I swear, his eyes could melt hearts." She swooned dreamily. "He's the school's star soccer player and might I add, he's gorgeous shirtless." Liz winked and looked over at Zach's direction. "Too bad he has a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend?" Cammie asked, surprised. She had no claim over Zach in any way. But when a girl kisses a guy and it leaved her breathless with butterflies, she'll be curious about his life.

Liz nodded, "Rebecca Baxter, gorgeous, popular, hates everyone, snobby, and the biggest bitch you'll ever meet."

"I think she's pretty," Preston announced, not looking from his game.

::

Zach made his way to his locker to grab his books; it was his favorite part of school: dismissal. He stuffed his books into his backpack and walked out into the student parking lot. He pulled his car keys from the insides of his pockets and made his way down to his car. It was a black BMW that his parents bought him for his sixteenth birthday, Zach loved it.

His beautiful baby was parked right next to Liz Sutton's silver Camry. She was opening her car door and some girl was standing next to her, holding Liz's things. "Hey Liz," Zach nodded over at her as he pressed the unlock button on his keys. Liz smiled over at him, "Hey Zach," She looked at her friend, widening her eyes for a bit. "Have you met my friend Cammie?"

Zach turned around to see the girl from US History and Chemistry. "Oh… hey," Zach nodded, still wondering who she was. He's seen her before, those pretty blue eyes.

Cammie smiled over at him, wisps of hair fell to her face.

Liz's phone began ringing in her pocket, "Oh, excuse me for a minute," Liz said apologetically and pulled her phone out. Cammie turned to watch her walk off a few feet away then turned back to Zach who was staring at her.

He asked slowly, "So how do you like Roseville?"

Cammie was surprised he was even talking to her, "it's different… but you know, more fun than my old school."

Zach smirked, "well, _more fun_ is kind of the school slogan, you know?"

Before Cammie could reply, Liz was back with a frantic expression, "Um, Cammie, I don't think I can drop you home, I need to stay back for an emergency newspaper meeting."

"Oh," Cammie replied, "its okay, I think I can call my dad or something."

"I'm really sorry," Liz apologized and grabbed her things from Cammie, "Really, I am so sorry!"

Cammie just chuckled, "Really Liz, it's fine. Go right ahead, I wouldn't want you late for your meeting."

Liz smiled and wrapped her into a hug with all her books and papers squishing between them. "You're the best!" She pulled away and raced up the concrete steps with all her things.

Cammie pulled out her phone from her pocket when Zach said, "I can drop you home." He cleared his throat, wondering where that offer came up. But he just nodded, opening the door to his car and tossing his back pack in the back seat.

Cammie raised an eyebrow, "really?"

Zach nodded, "Don't worry, I won't harm you in anyway, Gallagher Girl."

Cammie put her phone away and got into his car. Never in a million years would she get in a stranger's car, but she was pretty positive Zach wouldn't do anything weird.

Inside Zach's car, it was a mess. There were old soda cans in the drink holders and loose leaf papers were on the floor. Cammie couldn't even see the naked floor. "Nice car," She commented.

Zach just shrugged with a smile and pulled out of the parking lot, "So, where do you live?"

"14th Avenue," Cammie replied, fiddling with her fingers on her lap. She really wanted to bring up the New Year's party, but would Zach remember? Cammie didn't think so; he had a girlfriend after all.

Zach's phone began buzzing on the dashboard with a new text message. Once they slowed down and stopped at a red light, he grabbed his phone and read the message.

Cammie wondered if it was from his girlfriend, Rebecca.

"Hey Cammie, do you mind if we stop at a restaurant and pick up food for my mom?" He asked and put his phone down.

Cammie nodded, "Sure thing."

Zach drove into a restaurant parking lot and got out; Cammie did the same and followed him in. A long line was waiting by the cashier at the front counter. Zach sighed, "Looks like we'll be here awhile."

"I don't mind," Cammie shrugged, stuffing her hands into her pockets. It was a Chinese restaurant and the air smelled deliciously of egg rolls and stir fried noodles and sushi. Zach who was almost five inches taller than Cammie, looked down at her and said, "So tell me about yourself."

Cammie met his sparkling green eyes, "What's there to tell?" She asked and looked ahead of the line. There were at least eight people in front of them, ready to get their takeout orders.

"The whole story," Zach answered.

"You're interested?"

"I got the time," Zach replied with a small smile, "Now come on, tell me, why you would leave Gallagher? That school seems pretty cool."

Cammie laughed, "Didn't you call it a snotty-private school earlier?"

"Yeah, well…" Zach replied letting his voice trail off. "So what happened?"

"Just… I wanted something different this year, you know?" Cammie really didn't want to get into detail about hating her then best friend, Macey. She really just wanted to forget all the drama from last semester.

"Different can be good," Zach agreed.

Cammie looked over at him, he was so casual in a pair of black sneakers, a plain black t-shirt, and khaki shorts. But he was so damn cute. Was this some crazy twist of fate? Kiss a guy on New Year's as a form of adventure then suddenly regret it because he suddenly comes back into your life? Cammie wasn't sure.

"What about you?" Cammie asked him.

"What about me?"

"You're so interested in my life; I can't be interested in yours?" Cammie teased tauntingly, Zach was always so easy to talk to. Even if their first encounter wasn't a very memorable one, he was still the same carefree guy she remembered sharing a lonely New Year's night with.

Zach shrugged, "I guess you could call me a work in progress."

"Progressing into something better?"

"Something like that," Zach replied.

::

"Here we go 14th Avenue," Zach drove into Cammie's circular gravel drive. He stopped the car and took in the view of the Morgans' house. They had a beautiful two story house with large windows and a newly painted exterior. They had nicely trimmed very green grass, a gravel road leading up to their home, and a water fountain that shot spritz of water ten feet in the air. "It's nice."

Cammie chuckled and grabbed her book bag, "Thanks, I'll let my dad know you love it." She adjusted the bracelet on her wrist and unbuckled her seat belt, "Thanks for dropping me home, Zach. It was really sweet of you."

Zach shrugged, "I'm your typical knight in shining armor." He smirked, placing his hands on the steering wheel. Cammie laughed and opened her door but Zach reached out for her arm, "Wait, this has been bugging me for awhile."

"What?" Cammie turned to meet his eyes that literally sent her in whirlwinds.

"Why do I feel like I know you?"

Cammie tried to stop the smile that was forming on her lips. He remembered. He remembered! Cammie knew there was no reason to get excited. Zach had a _girlfriend_. But she couldn't help it. She really didn't know if she liked Zach, she barely knew him! But there was something about him, whether it was his carefree personality or his killer smile and hypnotic green eyes. There was something that pulled Cammie in and wanting more.

"Maybe we've met in a past life?" Now it was her turn to smirk.

Zach raised an eyebrow, "I was thinking something less complicated. Have we met before?"

Cammie just shrugged, loving how she could torture him. "Figure it out." And with that, she closed the door and raced to her room.

**a/n: long chapter, yes? Starts of kind of slow, yes? It'll get better, I hope! Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are so sweet! **


	4. day 03

**( day 03 )**

Cammie couldn't help but meet Zach's eyes when he walked into US History the next day. He was dressed nicely in a blue button up polo with the sleeves rolled up, dark fitted jeans, and a pair of old black Converse. He held his text book and a binder, but carried no book bag. Cammie couldn't help but notice how nice he looked today well, everyday. She wasn't' really sure she had a crush on him, she didn't know him! But that was the only excuse she could think of at the moment.

If she did know Zach, would she like him?

Cammie didn't know the answer to that.

"Hello class, I hope you've been reading the hand outs I've been giving you," Mr. Solomon said as he walked into class and rested his brief case onto his desk. "We have a lot of work to do and we need to get started right away."

Most of the students groaned, but Cammie just opened her binder, ready to take notes. Mr. Solomon ran his hand through his hair and turned to write something on the white board. He quickly spelled the words _Martin Luther's Reformation_ and then under that he wrote, _Two-page essay due on Friday. _

Grant Newman, a kid with overly gelled hair spoke up, "An essay already? Isn't that a little harsh Mr. Solomon?"

Mr. Solomon turned around and smiled a small smile, "Would you like a three page essay, Mr. Newman?"

"Oh fuck, never mind," Grant cursed and looked around the class with an exasperated expression.

"Language, Mr. Newman." Mr. Solomon said in a stern voice with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh shit, sorry!"

"Mr. Newman!"

"Sorry!" Grant raised his hands up in surrender as the class snickered quietly. Mr. Solomon tried not to roll his eyes as he turned back to the board. Cammie smiled and began scribbling notes with her Bic pen. She glanced up and caught Zach mouthing something to Grant who just chuckled. The girl sitting next to Zach whispered something into Zach's ear. Cammie watched the encounter, fully aware she was in tight jeans and a sparkly off-the-shoulder top. She had long lashes and nicely glossed lips.

Zach smirked and whispered something back to her.

Cammie looked back down at her notes and listened as Mr. Solomon began a full lecture on The Reformation. Cammie paid attention to every word, eager for a distraction. She wasn't jealous or anything. But she was a girl after all, and being a girl meant getting weirdly jealous when the guy you think is super cute is talking to a pretty girl. Not just _any_ girl either, a prettier girl.

Time quickly passed and suddenly the bell interrupted Mr. Solomon's lecture. He sighed, "Okay, that's it for today, everyone have a good day. Don't forget to do those reports."

The noise level in the room quickly rose as people began talking to their friends. Cammie got up and packed all her things into her bag. She didn't really know anyone in that class and she was way too awkward to start socializing, so she pretty much kept to herself.

Cammie carried her bag and began walking over to her next class. Out in the halls, she found herself walking alongside Zach and Grant. Zach was carrying a soccer ball spinning it on his index finger.

"Dude, did you see Beckham play last night?" Grant asked and winked at a couple of freshmen girl that passed by. They all giggled like swooning school girls and Grant smiled with satisfaction.

"Nah, I was out with Bex last night," Zach replied, concentrating on balancing the ball on his finger.

"Oh, that's good, are you guys good now? I swear, during the break, you guys were so cold and I don't mean the weather," Grant chuckled at his own lame joke.

Cammie bit her lip, eavesdropping was so wrong. But how could she help it if they were talking so loud and there was no other way to get around them?

Zach just shrugged, "I don't know man, and things have been pretty shitty. But you know, I'm tired of her complaining we never hang out. So yeah, that's what last night was."

"Dude, I have no idea what is wrong with you, Bex is so hot!" Grant smiled goofy smile.

Zach shrugged again, "Yeah well…She's been acting weird lately," Zach stopped talking and spinning the ball on his finger. He tucked the ball by his side with his left arm and held onto his books with his right arm. "I'll see you later, bro."

Grant nodded, "alright, see ya man!" Then Grant disappeared into the long hallway of students. Cammie waited a few minutes before entering the classroom. She really didn't want to look like she was stalking Zach.

After counting to three, she entered the room and took a seat at the first available seat. Zach wasn't seated yet; he was standing by talking to some other student. Cammie grabbed her Chemistry notebook out of her book bag and a clicked a pen open. She studied the teal nail polish that was carefully painted on her nails with fascination. Not having lots of friends gave you lots of free time to stare at your cuticles.

"Hey Gallagher Girl," Zach's voice filled the silence around her. Cammie looked up as he was passing by with a smile at her. She smiled back, wishing he sat next to her. But he chose to sit three seats behind her.

"Are you ready for another day of wonderful Chemistry?" Their teacher, Mrs. Dabney, asked as she came into the room with a warm smile. The class silenced, as she took a quick attendance. Once that was settled and the bell rang for class to officially start, she spoke, "Okay guys, you know that in this class we will be doing a lot of hands on projects. We'll be mixing formulas and solving solutions. It will definitely be very fun. Especially the labs, which we will be starting on next week, but with these lab experiments, will be partnered."

Mrs. Dabney gestured for everyone to get off their seats, "You will be sitting next to your partners till this course is over in June. So, get to know your partners and get work done."

Cammie stood in the corner, watching as everyone mumbled away in hopes they'd get paired with friends. Cammie had no one to do that with, so she awkwardly stood by herself and fiddled with the bracelets on her wrist.

Mrs. Dabney began pairing off people that Cammie really wasn't familiar with. But she was definitely full alert when she called Zach Goode (How perfect was his last name?). "Zach, you will be paired up with… Cameron Morgan."

Cammie smiled shyly over at him and looked down at her shoes as she walked to their assigned table. Zach walked over to the table once Cammie was seated, dropping his books and soccer ball on the granite counter top, "looks like we'll be partners, Gallagher Girl."

"I guess the fates are just dying for us to be together, huh?" Cammie teased, hoping he didn't think she was flirting with him. She kind of was, but still.

Zach grinned, "lucky you."

Cammie bit back a smile and opened her books to the assigned pages the class was reading. The class period went by quickly since they were not going to experiment till next week. Mrs. Dabney ended earlier than she planned, which gave the glass five minutes of free time.

Zach closed his binder and put his pen back into his pocket. He looked at the watch that was on his wrist then looked over Cammie, "So I am totally excited for the labs we'll be doing. I mean all those chemicals and stuff? Sounds pretty cool."

Cammie laughed, "Are you planning on blowing up the school?"

"Sugar, spice, and everything nice with a hint of chemical X?" Zach rubbed at his chin thinking about it, "sounds pretty wicked to me."

"I'll make sure to point my finger at you when those guys from the medical labs come in," Cammie smirked, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

"No way, I will definitely make you an accomplice. If I'm going down, my lab partner is going down too," Zach nodded, sure of himself.

"Ugh," Cammie's mouth dropped, "Whatever happened to being a gentleman?"

"Screw being a gentleman, you need to take one for the team!" Zach said, fist pumping in the air.

"You mean the soccer team?" She asked, gesturing to the ball that was in front of him.

Zach smiled, lifting the ball off the table, "Do you play?"

"Sadly, I'm not that coordinated," Cammie replied with a small shrug.

"Oh that definitely sucks," Zach said as the bell rang. Everyone in the class zoomed right out, but Cammie and Zach followed a little more slowly behind. "I bet you miss the quiet halls at Gallagher."

Cammie nodded right away, "Definitely one of the only things I miss."

Zach smiled at her, "Well, I'll see you later, okay? I gotta get to gym class." He nodded at a few people who passed by. Cammie nodded, "Sure, I'll see you."

::

"Don't tell me you've got a crush on Goode," Jonas asked Cammie during lunch that day. They were the only two at the table, since Liz and Preston were still in the very long lunch line. Cammie looked up from the yogurt cup she was picking at, "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're staring at him creepily," Jonas replied with a smirk and took a bit of his red apple. Cammie could hear the crunch that came from his bite.

"I'm not!"

"Right," Jonas said, not believing her one bit.

"Jonas, I'm not! I honestly don't even know him. He and I are just classmates for two periods," Cammie answered, pulling her gaze away from Zach's direction. He was sitting in between Grant and the girl from US History. "Jonas?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it's not like I care or anything, but who's that girl sitting next to him?"

"Bex Baxter," Jonas replied without even turning around. He said it, almost like it was expected that she was the only girl who could sit next to Zach. "His girlfriend."

"I thought her name was Rebecca?" Cammie asked, swirling her spoon around and making waves of pink in her tiny cup.

"Bex is her super cool nickname," Jonas rolled his eyes, sarcastically.

"I'm sure she's nice, she's my classmate for first period," Cammie replied.

Jonas just shrugged when Liz came up with Preston, "Who's really nice?"

"Bex Baxter," Jonas answered, taking a sip of his soda can. Liz placed her tray down next to him and looked over her shoulder toward Bex and Zach's table, "Ugh, please, she used to be one of my best friends in middle school but she secretly talked about me behind my back."

Jonas looked at Cammie with a smirk, "You see what I mean?"

**a/n: yay for Jonas and Cammie's friendship! Um, other than romance and friendship, this story revolves around a lot of genres; hurt/comfort, angst (believe it or not), drama, humor (yes, lots of it!), and everything in between. but i promise the ending will be worth it. Yeah. Please leave a review :) **


	5. day 04

**( day 04 )**

Zach's relationship with Bex Baxter was an unusual one. They weren't exactly friends with benefits because they actually did talk and go on dates. But they weren't officially boyfriend and girlfriend, because they still had no official commitment and Bex even dated other guys. That was actually fine with Zach because it's not like he was looking for a girlfriend, and even if he was, it wouldn't be Bex. The two have known each other since the 8th grade and go back a long time, which is probably the reason why he was in this "relationship" with her. No one really knew him like how Bex did.

"You've been avoiding me," Bex pointed out once she caught up with Zach in the parking lot. It was only eight in the morning but already Bex was interrogating him. Zach looked her up and down. Her lips were neatly glosses, her hair in loose curls that framed her face, and her eyes were dusted with sparkly eye shadow. She was beautiful.

"I haven't," Zach said, looking into her deep eyes.

"You have. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Zach replied, running a hand through his hair that was still damp from the shower he took this morning.

"Do you want to hang out tonight?" Bex asked, her eyes widening in a cute puppy gesture. Zach sighed, "Um, I'm not sure. I have practice today; I gotta get ready for the new season." He tried to smile at her.

Bex frowned, "Oh… okay." She laced her fingers through his, "You know, things have been really weird for awhile now… Are you still mad about… well, you know the—"

"No, I'm not," Zach cut her off. He gently pulled his hand away from hers, realizing how cold it felt to touch her. "I'm going to Grant's party tomorrow night, will you be there?"

Bex nodded, "Of course. Maybe we can go together? I really need to talk to you." Her voice cracked as she spoke the last words. This surprised Zach, she was usually as cold as ice. She never really showed emotion.

Zach pulled her into a hug, not knowing what to say or do. Zach buried his face into her hair, taking the familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo, "Yeah, sure."

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, "Walk me to first period?" She pulled away, her eyes getting a bit wet. Zach smiled, "Sure." He took her hand into his, no longer feeling the spark he used to. He wondered if Bex could feel it too. If she did, she didn't make a point of showing it. She just held onto his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. To Bex, appearance was everything and she'd pretend to look happy and in love even if she wasn't. They walked hand in hand into the school, surrounded by surprised and happy faces. Zach and Bex were always the school's favorite couple. Even if they weren't really a couple.

"Hey hey! I'm loving what I'm seeing here," Grant came up to the two with a smile. He followed next to Zach and placed his arm around his friend, "This is perfect, we're like the three musketeers again, right?"

Bex nodded at Grant, "totally." She looked up at Zach, tugging on his arm for his response. Zach just smiled and looked at Grant, "Have you started your paper yet?"

"I'll do it tonight," Grant replied with a sheepish smile. He was probably just going to bullshit his way through the paper like he usually did.

"Let's not talk about things that make me sad, you two will be there tomorrow, right?" Grant asked as they walked into their first period class together. Bex and Zach both nodded, hands intertwined. Grant fist pumped the air, "Righteous!" He turned on his heal and began inviting their other classmates to his party. He made his way down to Cammie, "Hey beautiful!" He winked at her.

"Hey. You're Grant, right?" Cammie asked, looking up from her text book.

"The one and only," Grant smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if being Grant Newman was _such _a hard job. "I'm having a party tomorrow night, want to come?" He asked and handed her a flyer that he printed out himself.

Zach chuckled and sat down at his usual seat. Bex sat next to him, still not pulling her hand away from his. A few moments later, Grant came back and slid into the seat in front of Zach. "So, I invited a few more people." He nodded, "This party is going to be killer! Zach, you'll buy the beers with me, right?"

Zach nodded, "Definitely." He stared at his hand in Bex's and gently pulled free. "You invited the new girl?"

Grant nodded, "Hey, she needs to get acquainted with everyone, you know?" He looked over at Cammie, "She's pretty cool, don't you think?"

"Meaning you want to get into her pants?" Zach smirked as Bex rolled her eyes. Typical pervy Grant.

Grant chuckled, "No, but who knows what could happen?"

"Well, please don't screw with her too hard dude, she's actually really awesome." Zach said, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against his chair. Bex eyed him suspiciously, "I didn't know you two were friends."

"We are," Zach said, nonchalantly, "We're classmates for Chem, so yeah. I dropped her home once."

Just then, Mr. Solomon entered the room with his usual Starbucks coffee cup and brief case, "Ready to start the day?" He asked with a chipper smile.

Everyone groaned.

::

"Can I ask you a question?" Zach asked as he slid on his stool next to Cammie. Cammie, who was reading something off her textbook, looked up, "Sure, what's on your mind?"

"Okay, why are girls so damn possessive? Say hypothetically, you're in a no strings attached relationship with this dude, but you get jealous all the time he's with someone else. Okay? Answer me!" Zach asked.

She smirked, "Are you literally talking about girls with me? You're not like most guys, huh?" She smiled and closed her book then folded her fingers together, "Well, because most girls like attention. They like when something is theirs, even if it's not officially. It's just how girls are programmed. We hate when someone else has something we want or someone for that matter."

"I'm not usually the sensitive type," Zach insisted, raising his dark eye brows.

"Right, whatever Zachy," Cammie teased him.

"I'm not," Zach said again and let Cammie's words sink in, "Cool, thanks. I don't think I will never understand girls, though." He opened his own books and turned to the page assignment on the board. Cammie watched him for a moment, "Why? What's got up your butt?"

Zach looked at her for a moment; his eyes lost in deep thought, "Just some stupid shit I've been thinking about lately. Women are crazy especially my friend Bex. "

Cammie nodded, surprisingly finding herself not affected by what he meant about his statement. Maybe she really just looked at Zach as a friend. Maybe the only reason she really liked being around Zach was because he was really fun to talk to. Maybe that was it. "Ooh, your girlfriend? Do tell about your romantic love story."

Zach nodded, "Yeah, Bex. And there isn't much of a story to tell. We've always known each other. Since like 8th grade or something. We kind of dated a lot in freshman year and only started officially dating last year. But we're kind of on again and off again. But yeah, she's alright."

Cammie smiled, genuinely happy for him. "That sounds sweet." She had to admit, Bex was gorgeous. Super gorgeous. She doubted that if Zach went for girls like _that,_ he'd go for girls like her. It was just some weird high school formula that was as cliché as it could get. The storybook writers like to trick teenage girls into thinking that the geeky girls would someday steal the hearts of the dream boys. But no, this was real life. In real life, that doesn't happen.

"Yeah, but things have been weird lately. She's gotten so… possessive and so angry all the time. Which is pretty bogus because she…" Zach said, eyes getting lost into the distance, again.

Cammie raised an eyebrow, "Because?"

Zach laughed nervously, wondering if anyone was listening in on their conversation. "Just some stuff, weren't not really exclusive, you know?"

"You're not into her like that? Most guys find it flattering when a girl gets all possessive over him," Cammie asked him, spinning slightly on her high stool. She looked down at the boots that went up her jeans, waiting for Zach's answer.

"Flattering? More of creepy," Zach insisted, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "and can we please just keep it between us?"

"Sure thing," Cammie promised him.

"On the brighter side of things, I really don't want to depress you with my fucking drama," Zach smirked playfully. "Are you going to Newman's party tomorrow night?"

"I'm not really into parties," Cammie admitted with a shrug.

"Not into parties? Did none of those private school girls host any?" Zach asked, almost shocked.

Cammie laughed, "Do you seriously believe all private school kids are slutty, party-goers?"

Zach didn't reply, but a small smile crept on his lips.

"Okay fine, some girls were really heavy drinkers. But I never really went to the parties," Cammie shrugged, "I guess you can make fun of me for being lame."

"Not lame, just real."

"But, I think I'm going to go to Grant's party." Cammie said, instantly feeling embarrassed. She wasn't really the type to try to impress the other kids. But she really wanted a new persona. She was tired of spending her Friday nights on her laptop watching romantic comedies. She needed to get out there and live. And Grant's party was a perfect start.

"Careful, we Roseville kids are crazy party animals." Zach smirked again, "Are you sure you can keep up?"

::

"I'm going to this party tomorrow night," Cammie told Jonas as they made their way to the school's library for study hall. Jonas - who was sporting a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans—"Really?"

Cammie pushed the glass swinging door to the library and said in a low voice, "Yes, and I really want you to come with me."

"What? Why? And whose party will this be?" Jonas asked all the major questions and guided her to a table at the far end so they could talk privately without being too loud.

"Grant Newman," Cammie replied and pulled out a chair for herself. She sat down and waited for Jonas's answer, hoping it'd be a yes.

"Uh, no thanks," Jonas quickly shot the proposal down.

"Why not?"

"Cammie, you know I hate the soccer team and everything that has to do with them. They're all a bunch of douches." Jonas answered her confidently.

"They're not that bad," Cammie insisted and reached out to grab Jonas's arm, "Please Jonas? Please? I mean, I wouldn't be asking you if Liz wasn't going out with her family this weekend."

Jonas groaned, "no way."

"Oh, come on! It'll give you time to socialize!" Cammie tried to persuade him, still holding tightly onto his arm.

"I honestly hate most people," Jonas replied with a shrug.

"Please!"

"I really don't want to."

"Please for me?"

"I really don't want to."

"Please?"

"I _really _don't want to."

"Please, please, please, please?" Cammie pleaded helplessly as she let his arm go, "It'll mean the world to me if you came! I'd go by myself but I really don't know anyone and I really don't want to end up all awkward in the corner for the whole night."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Jonas chuckled.

"Please?"

"Okay, fine."

"Really?"

"No."

"Jonas!"

"Okay, fine."

"You're not funny!"

"I'm serious this time, actually."

"Really?"

"No."

"Jonas!"

"Hey you two, settle down! Please use inside voices!" The librarian who was passing by with a cart of books said to them with a stern look.

"Sorry," Cammie mumbled, grabbing a book out of her bag and pretending to work. Once the coast was clear, Cammie looked at Jonas, "Please? I'm begging you."

Jonas sighed, "How long are we going to be there?"

"Not very, just a couple of hours," Cammie said, hoping she'd be able to convince him.

"A couple means two, you know." Jonas said, raising an eyebrow and adjusting the glasses he was wearing.

"Okay fine, a couple plus one more." Cammie replied, trying not to roll her eyes at him.

"Fine, I'll go with you. But we're not staying for long." Jonas sighed, finally giving in. Cammie smiled brightly at him, "You're great, you know that?"

"Oh trust me, I know," Jonas replied, "But you owe me big."

"I owe you my life and then some."

::

"You were great out there," Bex said as Zach ran off the field to the bleachers to get his water. He was sweaty and tired from the practice game they were playing. He grabbed his water bottle out of his gym bag and took a long drink. He watched Bex as he finished taking his drink, "Thank you." He said, out of breath from the game. "What are you doing here?"

Bex shrugged, "I used to always come to your practices." She smiled sadly, her hands placed on her lap. Her back straight and poise as if she was waiting for royalty to show up.

"Yeah, I know. But you haven't in awhile."

Bex shrugged, "Zach? I know we said we'd talk at Grant's party. But it's going to be so loud and crowded there. I really don't think I'll be able to think straight."

Zach sat down next to her, placing a comforting hand on her back. He's known her for a long time; he knew when something was wrong. "What's up?" He asked, concerned.

Before Bex said anything, fat tear drops welled up in her beautiful cat eyes. "It's my grandmother Zach, she's dying." She choked out the last words and covered her mouth before she let out a sob.

Zach's insides literally dropped as he pulled her into a tight hug. He knew Bex's grandmother was pretty old and had been sick since the summer before their sophomore year. He also knew that she and Bex were very close. Her grandmother was there to take care of Bex when she was really young and her parents were always away on business trips for work.

Zach instantly felt terrible for her, "I'm so sorry."

"I don't want her to die," Bex whispered, fearing her voice would scream out in pain if she spoke too loud. She really didn't want the whole soccer team to see her like this. Luckily, they were all too busy practicing to notice.

Zach held one of his very best friends tightly into his arms.

**a/n: Guys, Guys, Guys, I haven't updated since last year! Lol, okay, I know I'm lame. And to any Zach x Bex fans ( I really have no idea what their name is together... Bach? Zax? ), there will be some cute Zach x Bex moments to make your heart melt :) I get back to school on Tuesday, but I'll try to keep the updates regular, yeah? **

**Please review and tell me about your new year!  
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	6. day 05

**( day 05 )**

"Your papers are due today. Please turn them in at my desk," Mr. Solomon said as he adjusted the silk tie he was wearing, "And happy Friday! I do hope you had a lovely first week of school."

All the kids shuffled out of their seats and made their way to Mr. Solomon's desk, holding their papers nervously in their hands. It was the first assignment of the year, so it counted for a lot. Not really to their academic grades, but to how intelligent they were as individuals. With their first graded assignment, they will be figuring out who were the class geniuses, the average workers, the procrastinators, and the slackers.

Zach walked over to the desk and dropped his paper on top of the heaping pile of reports. He turned back to his seat and caught Cammie's eye as she walked to turn in her paper. "How'd your paper go, Gallagher Girl? Was it challenging enough for you?" He smirked.

Cammie rolled her eyes at him, "I thought it was okay…" She shrugged, not wanting to mention her old school already made her do a report on this topic _and_ she got an A.

Zach just smiled at her and sat down next to Bex who was studying the French manicure on her nails. Zach looked at her and nudged her lightly, "How are you?"

She shrugged, trying not to look sad in public, "Fine."

Zach just smiled a small smile and patted her arm gently, "It'll be okay. I promise. Bex… if you're not going to the party tonight, I'll stay with you at your house."

Bex smiled, "Thanks Zach, but… I really want to get out tonight. I can't stand being at home, it's depressing. My mother is in complete denial and only ever stays at home to sleep. Once it's the morning, she's out the door and working and doesn't come back till late. Same with my dad, except, he's been drinking more now." She frowned.

"I'm sorry," Zach said because that's all he could think. He reached out for her hand and squeezed it gently. "We'll go out tonight. We'll have fun, like the old times."

::

Cammie stared at herself in her bedroom's full length mirror. She smiled, quite satisfied that she managed to survive her first week at Roseville High. She didn't even miss Gallagher or Macey or her other friends. It was kind of surprising, but she was having fun at her new school. She watched her blue eyes stare back at her, feeling horribly insecure. She was nowhere near as pretty as any of the other girls who went to Roseville. At Gallagher, all the girls always wore the same uniform and makeup could only be lip balm and a hint of mascara (maybe eyeliner if you could get away with it). So, there was really no reason to feel like an ugly duckling (unless of course, you were best friends with Macey McHenry!).

Cammie observed the pretty black dress that shaped her body well then thought about changing into something else. But she decided against it since Jonas was picking her up soon. She rummaged through the drawers on her dresser to find a bracelet to go with her dress. She found a leather one and clipped it around her wrist. She looked at herself again; the dress hugged her physique but cascaded down, floating just above her knees. She wore a pair of silver ballet flats that matched her long silver heart pendant necklace. Her hair was down and waved in all the right places. She wasn't vain, but she had to admit she looked pretty decent.

"Cammie! Someone is here for you!" Her father's voice echoed through the intercom that was installed by Cammie's bed. She walked over to it, hitting a button, and saying "Okay, I'll be there in a minute." She answered and applied a fresh coat of lip gloss on her lips then dabbed her cheeks with powder. She grabbed her black metallic clutch on her night stand, throwing her make up into it. She rushed down the stairs, but slowed down when she saw Jonas standing there, in a blazer and loose tie, talking to her father.

"How well do you do in school?" Cammie heard her father ask as she came up to them.

"Hey!" Cammie interrupted Jonas's reply and smiled apologetically at her friend. Cammie's dad turned to her with a smile, "You look great, sweetheart!"

"Thanks," Cammie smiled and nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Where's mom?"

"I'm here!" Her mother's voice echoed through the large foyer as she held a digital camera in her hands. She snapped a photo of Cammie as Cammie's jaw dropped in horror. "Mom!" She nearly shrieked.

"Oh Cameron, please," Her mom begged and happily took another photo. She smiled at Jonas, "Hello! I'm Cammie's mom." She extended her arm out to him, studying him. Cammie's mother was a very judgmental person. She was nice, but horribly critical.

"I'm Jonas," He shook her hand, no fear in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled and snapped another photo of Cammie whose hand was covering her face. "Mom! Please don't!"

But her mother just rolled her eyes and looked at Jonas, "Can I please take a quick photo of you two?"

Jonas smiled politely at her, "Sure, why not?" He stood next to Cammie and smiled. Cammie just stood there and stared into the camera as her mother snapped another photo.

"Okay, I think it's time for them to go," Cammie's father said, clearing his throat. He opened the large mahogany door and looked at Jonas, "Bring my daughter home at a reasonable time, young man."

"We're just friends, dad," Cammie grabbed Jonas' arm and steered him out of there as her mother bid them goodbye, snapping another photo for her entertainment.

Once they were safely outside, Cammie sighed and looked at Jonas, "I'm sorry about that. I… don't get out much, so my parents are really… surprised whenever I have a party to attend." She rolled her eyes, pulling on the necklace that dangled near her stomach.

Jonas smiled, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "It's fine, really. They seem nice." He walked over to his car that was parked on the Morgan's' driveway. He unlocked the door by pressing a button on his keys and opened it for Cammie, "After you –by the way, you look really nice tonight."

Cammie smiled, "Thank you." She said and got into the car as Jonas gently closed it behind her. Jonas' car smelled like cherry air freshener and the seats were leather and smoothed. Cammie watched Jonas walk to the other side of the car and got in, "Nice ride," Cammie replied with a smile.

Jonas laughed and faced her, the only light coming into the car were from the outdoor light posts that were in front of the Morgan's house. "Thanks, but it's my dad's. He doesn't really trust me with a car yet." He shrugged and began to drive.

Cammie felt her heart pounding in her chest, suddenly anxious about the party. It could be really fun and she might even have the time of her life. But it could also be really bad. What if no one liked her clothes there? Or she wasn't even welcomed to dance with anyone? She bit her lip, telling her conscious to shut up. She wanted to have some fun.

Jonas turned the corner and drove up to a nice neighborhood with nice very modern looking houses. The car got slower as he drove up to a house filled with cars in its driveway and out by the curb. "Here we are at the Newman residence." Jonas said with a bored expression.

Cammie looked out the tinted window, watching as people dressed in fashionable clothes all happily entered the house. Cammie suddenly felt out of place but she fought against it. "Come on, let's go!"

Jonas made a face to himself and parked his car at the first available space. Cammie hopped out, convincing herself it was a good idea to go. Jonas locked the doors to his car and came up next to her. "Remember, you said we'd leave in three hours." He looked at his watch and said, "You have exactly two hours and fifty-seven minutes."

Cammie rolled her eyes at him, "whatever. Come on!" She happily guided her way through the crowds of people out in the front lawn, holding Dixie cups filled with what smelled like beer. She opened the door and loud music blared from the insides. She turned back to Jonas, who shoved his hands into his pockets while quietly following behind.

In the living room, the lights were turned off except for a few lamps and teenagers were already dancing in tight crowds, moving to the rhythm. The main hallway was lit and Cammie could see people hanging out in the kitchen and standing by the staircase. There was a person almost everywhere taking up all the space the house had.

Cammie turned to Jonas, "Let's get a drink!" She shouted over the loud music. Jonas nodded, feeling as uncomfortable as he looked. Cammie gave him a comforting smile and walked over to the kitchen where a large beer keg stood in the middle of the table, surrounded by a thousand different drinks. She grabbed a soda, not wanting to get drunk at the very instant. Jonas picked up a drink too.

"I'm going to scope the place out," Jonas said directly in Cammie's ear and turned around before she could say anything else.

She watched him go, taking a sip of her drink.

"Hey you," a voice slurred behind her then followed by a slap to her butt. Cammie yelped and turned around to see Grant taking a sip of his beer. "What's up?"' He asked, leaning against the table beside them.

"Oh hey, great party," She smiled and took another sip of her drink.

Grant smiled, "Having fun?"

Cammie shrugged, "I kind of just got here."

Grant took the can out of Cammie's hand and took a sip. He spit out the drink and laughed to himself, "No beer?"

"Not yet." Cammie answered, not wanting to sound totally lame.

"You should get some," Grant said his words a bit slurred, his breath smelling of alcohol. "You look hot tonight!" He reached forward as if to embrace her.

"Whoa, whoa!" Suddenly, Zach's arms were catching Grant before he fell into Cammie. Zach leaned Grant's weight on him. He smiled at Cammie, "Hey Gallagher Girl."

Cammie smiled and looked at Grant who was struggling to balance on his own feet. Grant leaned against the table, "Hey Zach! Hiiii…" He chuckled, "I'll leave you two alone." He winked at Cammie then sloppily walked away.

Zach looked down at Cammie and smiled again, he was dressed nicely in a t-shirt and black polo shirt. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you tonight."

"Really?" Cammie raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest.

"Just doesn't seem like your scene," he replied and grabbed a cup off a stack on the table. He pumped the keg and poured cold beer into his cup. He shook the cup around, watching the beer swirl in waves as it was being stirred. He then took a sip, not taking his eyes off Cammie.

Cammie shrugged, "Well, I'm in the process of finding myself a new scene."

"What's wrong with your old one?" He asked curiously, taking another sip.

"I just… I really want to switch things up, you know? Try to live on the fast lane." She explained and pushed the hair out of her face.

Zach raised an eyebrow, "Oh really now? Gallagher Girl wants a new persona?" He laughed, "No offense, Cammie, but I cannot see you doing it."

"I can!" Cammie insisted and to prove her point, took Zach's cup out of his hands and took a swig. She gulped it down quickly, feeling it burn down her throat. She would never understand why people drank beer, did they not _taste_ it? It tasted horrible!

But she swallowed it gracefully, emptying the cup like a true lady would.

Zach clapped lightly, "I'm amazed."

Cammie just chuckled and handed him his cup back, "I'm full of surprises."

He nodded, "clearly." He looked around the large kitchen, more people coming in to get drinks and the noise getting louder than it already was. "Want to go some place quiet?" He asked.

Cammie shrugged, "I'd love to."

After refilling his cup, he turned around and Cammie followed him. He led her outside where some people were swimming in the pool but it wasn't as loud as it was inside. He led her to the patio where a table for four was nicely set. Zach pulled out a seat for her and then sat down himself.

"Grant has a nice house," Cammie commented.

"A great party house," Zach nodded and sat back on his seat. He looked at her then smirked, "so tell me, Gallagher Girl, what's up with wanting to be more dangerous?'

"Not dangerous or anything," Cammie shrugged then placed her clutch on the table. "I just need a new lifestyle. My old one is terribly boring. Staying home on Friday nights and watching movies on weekends."

"That's cute," Zach smiled.

Cammie tried not to blush. "I just… I need a new perspective. I need to really experience life and have fun and stay out late. I want to be young and really enjoy it."

"You know what? I'll help you." Zach said and took a sip of his drink.

"You will?" Cammie laughed as Zach stood up and grabbed her arm. "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" Cammie asked, trying to keep up with Zach's long strides. He led her to the living room where everyone was dancing to a Lady Gaga song. Zach began bopping his head to the beat and spun Cammie around in a circle and began to dance. Cammie stopped for a moment, feeling unsure and awkward. But after awhile, she swayed her body too.

::

Zach walked through the halls of Grant's house to find a drunken Bex Baxter dancing like a goddess. She was swaying her hips with her hands in the air. Her hair was flying behind her and she captured the eyes of the whole room. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Zach standing and watching her. She smirked seductively and winked, continuing her teasing dance.

Zach tried not to stare as he bit his lip.

She gestured for him to come forward with her finger. Zach just shrugged, taking in another drink of his beer. It was already his fourth drink and he didn't feel at all that tipsy.

He leaned against the wall as the Newman's study turned into a night club. Bex danced her heart out to the loud music quickly. She was moving so fast that it didn't even look like her feet touched the ground. After the third song, she walked over to Zach, her balance a little off. "Hey baby," She smiled, her words slurred.

Zach made a face because the smell of alcohol was so strong on her. He could barely even smell her Chanel perfume. Bex leaned against Zach for support and wrapped her arms around his neck. He circled his own arms around her waist, to keep her steady. "This isss nicee!" She smiled joyfully.

Zach chuckled and guided her over to the first available couch. He held onto her elbows, making sure she was steady enough to stand up. But when he released his grip on her, she fell back with a giggle. Her dress bunched up and Zach could see her silky red panties. Zach pulled her dress down, not wanting any other guys to ogle her. She pushed herself onto her elbows with all her strength and looked up into his eyes, "Make love to me tonight Zach." Her words came out sort of gibberish but Zach could hear the words perfectly.

He cleared his throat and fixed her messy hair. "No, you're drunk Bex."

"We've done it before," She smiled teasingly, pulling on the ends of her hair. "I love you."

Zach stopped in his tracks, never has Bex ever said anything like that to anyone. Not to her parents, not to her friends, not to her past boyfriends, and certainly not to him. Zach was pretty sure the only person she ever said 'I love you' too was her grandmother.

Zach cleared his throat and kneeled down so he was at eye level. "Bex, you're drunk. You need to sleep this off. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I want us to be together," Bex insisted with a goofy grin. "I want us to fall in love and get married and have kids, I want _you_." She gripped his hair and pulled his head to kiss her on the lips. She tasted just like beer. She pulled away and gazed into his eyes, "do you love me too?"

**a/n: hey guys! Hey! I survived my first week back at school! Yay! I hope everyone's having a good week. **


	7. day 06

**( day 06 )**

Cammie felt her phone vibrate under her pillow as she opened one eye slowly. She yawned, reaching for her phone and look at the screen. An unknown number was calling her at 8:03 on a Saturday morning. She debated whether or not she should answer since she was exhausted from last night. But she sighed and answered anyway, "Hello?" She asked her voice still raspy from sleep.

"Good morning, Gallagher Girl," It was Zach.

Cammie fought the urge to smile as she he heard his voice. But she bit her lip then asked, "Why are you calling me? I mean, not that I don't want you to. I do. It's just… I don't necessarily remember giving you my number." She threw her blanket off her body, noticing she was still in her party dress from last night.

"Well, let's just say I really wanted to talk to you." Zach replied smoothly, no hesitation in his voice.

Confident.

He was always just so confident.

"And getting my number?"

"I have ways," he replied then chuckled, "Or I asked Liz while she was away with family. She says hi by the way."

Cammie smiled, flattered he even bothered to try and talk to her. "Well, what exactly do you want to talk about?" She turned on her bed and brought her feet onto the cold wooden floor. She held tightly onto her phone with her right hand and her left arm crossed her stomach, supporting her weight.

"Do you want to hang out today? Maybe we can do something reckless?" Cammie could almost hear Zach's smirk through the phone.

Cammie chuckled, "You were serious about last night?"

"I always keep a promise."

"I'd love to hang out," Cammie answered and stood up. She was already rushing towards her closet, looking for an outfit. She sifted through her clothes that hung nicely and neatly, looking for the perfect top. She had no idea why she wanted to look nice, but she did.

"Great, I'll pick you up at your place in an hour, okay?" Zach said back.

"Perfect, I'll be waiting." Cammie responded then asked, "Wait, what exactly did you have in mind?"

"Just something fun," Zach replied, "Trust me."

"Okay," Cammie didn't want to press, "So, I'll see you in an hour?"

"I'll be counting the minutes."

::

There was just something about the girl. Zach didn't even know it yet. But that morning, he woke up not wanting to be alone at home since his mom now worked on Saturdays. And his dad was always cooped up in his home office. So, he got his keys and called the girl he needed, Liz Sutton.

Which led him to the girl he wanted (to talk to, of course).

So he called her, not really sure why. But he did. With all the drama with Bex, the pressure of school, the responsibilities his dad was giving him, and everything else. He needed to find a happy place. That place always seemed to be around Cammie, though.

Maybe it was the way she was always so sweet, so new, and so innocent. It was great that there was still a bit of innocence in this cold world. Since last year, Zach had almost seen it all. This became the main reason why needed to change his ways.

When Cammie agreed to spend a day with him, he couldn't have been more excited. He wanted to forget about all the shit in his life for awhile. Even if it was just for awhile.

It only took a week but Cammie already became one of Zach's favorite people in the world.

He liked talking to her.

He liked making her laugh.

He liked seeing her every day.

But he didn't _like_ her, not like that. Or not yet, at least.

::

"Hey, I'm going to be heading out today," Cammie said as she popped her head into the kitchen where her parents were reading the paper. They both looked up from whatever articles they were reading, surprised. Cammie walked in dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a soft pink short sleeved t-shirt. The Morgan's kitchen smelled of fresh brewed coffee and toasted bread. Just like it did every Saturday morning.

"Going out again?" Cammie's mom asked, indifferent.

Cammie nodded and pulled out a chair for herself. She set her hands down on the polished wooden table and poured herself a cup of hot coffee. She took in the aroma of the freshly groun coffee beans (courtesy of her mother). She placed down the ceramic coffee pot and took a sip of her beverage.

"Have you done your homework?" Cammie's father asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Cammie had to admit. When she got home last night, she was too exhausted to do anything and she was a little drunk. She couldn't even imagine the gibberish and nonsense she'd write on her answer sheets. "But I'll do them tomorrow."

Cammie's dad made a face, "I don't think you should be going out today, Cameron." He took a sip of his coffee, looking her in the eye.

"It's really easy homework," Cammie insisted then looked at her mother for some back up. "And it's not like I'll be staying out late tonight."

Cammie's parents shared numerous looks for a few minutes. It was a silent argument through their eyes. After awhile, they finally agreed, "Okay fine," her father said. Cammie smiled brightly, standing up and hugging her parents, "Thanks guys, you're the best."

"Be home before three." Her father said as Cammie walked out of the kitchen. Cammie looked back and lifted her thumb up in agreement. She grabbed her coat from the hall closet as the doorbell rang. Cammie opened the door quickly and exited before her parents interrogated Zach. She pushed him out of the doorway and closed the door. She smiled, "Sorry, but my parents would probably slow things down for us."

Zach just nodded, as if understanding. He walked her into his car and Cammie buckled in her seat belt and waited for him to drive to wherever they were going. Zach drove onto the main road, leaving Cammie's house behind. She watched it get smaller in the distance through her car door mirror. She then turned to Zach, "So, where are we going?"

"What would be the fun if I told you?" He smirked as his hands held onto the steering wheel.

Cammie made a face, "You know, this is like kidnapping."

"Not if you're cooperating."

"Touché."

She didn't bother asking any more questions as she let Zach drive to wherever they were headed. For some reason, she wasn't afraid of Zach even if she just met him. There was something oddly familiar about Zach, almost like she's met him before. But didn't, since he also felt so exciting and new, like a breath of fresh air. She wasn't sure if she believed in it, but if there were such a thing as past lives, then maybe she's met him in one of those.

"We're here!" Zach suddenly said and parked by the curb. Cammie looked out the window; they were just by a row of stores a mile away from Cammie's house. She glanced back at him with a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm not impressed."

"Come on," Zach just smiled at her, amused. He opened the door to his car and walked around to Cammie's side, pulling open hers. Cammie got out and accepted the hand that Zach offered. He closed the door and spun her in a circle. She laughed as he guided her down the street, just barely filled with people on a sunny Saturday morning. He still held onto her hand, but Cammie didn't even bother telling him to let go.

"So, tell me about yourself," Zach said and looked over at her. They walked down the sidewalk street, passing through small crowds of people who had places to go and people to see. Cammie glanced at Zach, the sunlight shining through his hair. Cammie stared as the tips of his dark hair as it burned gold in the sunlight.

"You want to know more?" Cammie asked as if she was horrified. In a way she was, she was led to believe that she was single handily the most boring person ever.

Zach pulled his hand away and Cammie tried not to frown in disappointment. He smiled, "Yeah, well, I want to know everything about you."

"Why is that?"

He just shrugged, "You fascinate me." He said simply.

"I do?" Cammie raised an eyebrow.

He nodded then said, "So come on, tell me the whole story."

"What more do you want to know?" Cammie made a face and stuck her lonely hands into her pockets.

"Are you close with your parents?" He asked her, stopping by a pedestrian walk way. He looked both ways (such a boy scout) then crossed the road. Cammie followed him and answered, "Yeah, we talk a lot. I'm an only child, so you know; I have no one else to talk to." She chuckled. "What about you?"

"Not really," Zach said and shoved his pockets into his hands. "My dad is a total hard ass. He really wants me to be some genius doctor or brilliant lawyer or something. He puts a lot of pressure on me to do well in school. But my mom and I are close. And I don't have any siblings either."

"Oh," Cammie said, wanting to ask more on the father topic but decided not to. "So what are your favorite kinds of movies?"

"Action movies, most definitely," He smirked. "And let me guess for you? Lame chick flicks where the main character is _totally_ misunderstood but she meets the boy who sweeps her off her feet and all that kind of shit."

Cammie rolled her eyes but smiled, "Yes."

"Those movies are laaame. It even makes cool guys look bad," He said as he walked her into a small coffee house. Cammie was fascinated, she passed by this street every day and never noticed this small shop wedged between a hardware store and Seven Eleven. But Zach seemed to know the place well and asked her to sit at a table he seemed familiar with.

"You come here often?" She asked with a smile.

He nodded, "Every now and then I like to go on adventures and explore the town. Find new things, meet new people." As he said this, a barista walked up to them and smiled, "Hey Zach! Medium drip?"

He nodded and looked over at Cammie. She smiled at him, impressed then looked at the barista. "Medium drip, as well." She nodded and the barista walked off with her notepad.

"I'm amazed at you, really," She said and looked him in the eye.

He leaned forward, "How so?"

"Oh I don't know, Mister-calm-cool-and-collected is also Mister-spontaneous-coffee-house-medium-drip-guy?" She smirked, "You know, you're exactly the kind of guys that exist in cheesy romance movies."

Zach just rolled his eyes as the barista came back with their coffee orders and Zach paid after swatting Cammie's money away. He took a sip of his drink. "So how's Roseville High for you?"

"It's good," Cammie had to admit.

"Why did you leave Gallagher? I mean, that place seems totally… I don't know, it seems totally perfect for you." Zach said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She raised an eyebrow, curiously.

"I just mean… why did you transfer so abruptly during the middle of the year?" He looked down at his coffee cup, tracing his finger along the rim.

Cammie looked at him for a moment then said, "Can I be totally honest?"

"Yes," Zach nodded, "You can with me, okay?"

She smiled at his words, "Well, my then best friend was a total bitch. And I mean total bitch. She was always so mean and always brought me down. I was just tired of it, and tired of her. I guess I finally got tired and wanted to get away from her as soon as possible."

Zach reached his hand out and placed it gently over hers, comforting.

::

"I've actually never been good at any sports," Cammie admitted as they continued to walk without a destination. It was kind of exciting, they just walked and talked and looked and explored. There was no definite plan. There was no coordinated schedule. There were no time limits. They could stay at one place for however long they wanted, and then moved onto the next without worrying about being late. Cammie had to admit, she grew up being punctual and organized. It was just who she was. Spontaneity was never her thing.

Zach chuckled, "because you're not very coordinated, right?"

Cammie smiled, flattered that he even remembered that detailed she shared with him. "Yes, that. And I hate getting all sweaty." She stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Go ahead, laugh at me."

Zach tried not to. "Well, I only joined soccer because my parents wanted me to be a well rounded kid," he rolled his eyes, "but I actually like soccer, so it's not that bad."

"Are you any good?" She turned abruptly into a small stationary store. Zach followed her, as they went down an aisle filled with greeting cards. Cammie pulled out a card from its hold and chuckled, "these are so lame." She closed it and picked up another one.

Zach watched her with amusement and started picking greeting cards to read, "I'm pretty good at soccer. I'm a striker."

"Oh, when do you start your games?" She asked, closing one card that made a loud beeping noise.

Zach laughed at her then answered. "Two weeks from now, you should come. Unless you'd rather be somewhere else of course." He smirked.

"Miss your soccer game? _Never_."

The two continued talking, they never seemed to run out of things to say. They both had opinions about everything but managed to listen to the others as well as voice their own. It was funny how they worked, but they did.

::

Cammie looked at her watch, "I need to get home soon my parents want me home early."

Zach stopped walking and looked at her, "Of course, I mean, you were out partying hard last night." He chuckled, "I hope you didn't get hung over."

"I didn't drink that much," Cammie said because the only drops of alcohol she consumed were the small sips from Zach's cup.

"Alright," Zach nodded and gestured for her to follow him down a narrow back alley. Cammie raised an eyebrow, "This seems like the beginning of a horror film."

He chuckled, "Just come on, Gallagher Girl."

She followed him down the long alley that was semi-clean for a dirty back alley. The walls of the tall buildings were covered in head to toe graffiti. Cammie took in the whole sight, she honestly hated graffiti but she had to admit, this was kind of beautiful. "Wow." She commented as she stared at a painted flower that showed great detail and careful thought from the artist.

"Yeah, that's my favorite one too. But the artist did some crappy work with the edges," He critiqued like a professional. Cammie gave him a funny look never would she have guessed Zach to be the judgmental type.

But he just smiled, "Hey, I can critique my own work, can't I?" He stuffed his hands into his pockets. Cammie's jaw slightly dropped. "Wow, you drew this?"

He nodded, "Yeah…" He smirked, "but don't look at me like I'm some saint or something. This is actually illegal. But I like to doodle every now and then."

Cammie looked back at the nicely drawn flower. It was done in spray paint and popped out in a very three-dimensional kind of way. The shadows drawn under the flower, made it more real, more elegant. Cammie didn't even consider it graffiti. It was art.

"Now, to fulfill your little dare devil needs, you will be adding something to this wall." He handed her a mini bottle of spray paint that he carried in his coat pocket. Cammie chuckled, "I can't draw anything, Zach. I'm not as gifted as you." She teased him.

He laughed, "Well, write something then." She looked at the wall in front of her and all the beautiful graffiti that adorned it. She honestly had no idea how she was going to add something in the beautiful collage. She just wasn't as interesting as any of these people.

She sighed and looked at him, "Okay, turn around though."

He rolled his eyes and turned around. Cammie faced the wall and sprayed the wall with words, feeling like a criminal. But when she finished and took a step back, she didn't regret what she did. Zach turned around and stood next to her. He nodded, "Deep, Gallagher Girl. Now let's get going before the cops or someone comes." He turned and started walking out of the alley.

She followed more slowly after, leaving the words she wrote permanently on the wall: _Live Free_.

**a/n: um, to answer some questions and clear things up. This story is AU, so it doesn't follow the plot of GG really well. Idk, sometimes I like to not write spy stories, you know? xD But I have a new idea for a spy story that will be posted up …whenever. Probably after this and ****My Escape. **

**Also, if you guys couldn't tell, I love zammie. And if it isn't obvious enough, there **_**will**_** be zammie (in a romantic way). But I can't promise it'll end zammie ;D loljk, it probably will. Maybe. **

**Thank you all for being amazing :)**


	8. day 07

**( day 07 )**

Zach reached under the mat of Bex Baxter's house for the front door's key. He knew it was there, just like it had been for the past four years that Zach's known the Baxters. He unlocked the door and entered, knowing no one would answer if he just knocked. He opened the door wider, trails of sunlight raced inside the dark and gloomy house. It was quiet, which wasn't unusual but usually there was low music playing off the living room speakers.

Zach walked in, closing the door behind him and drowning out the sunlight that desperately needed to light the house. He quietly made his way up the spiral stair case and avoided passing by Bex's father who was pouring himself another glass of Whiskey at ten in the morning. Zach walked down to Bex's room and opened the door quietly already knowing she was in there.

She was.

She was laying on her side and staring out into the distance, lost in thought. Zach closed the door behind him, gently making his way over. Bex looked horrible. And when he said that, he meant it. Her eyes were swollen from the tears she obviously shed. Her hair hung flat and lifeless off her head and dry tear stains adorned her face. Zach stood a few feet in front of her, "How are you doing?"

Bex looked up; almost startled he was in there. "I've been better." She sighed and turned so she was facing the ceiling above her. Zach sat down on the foot of her bed, staring at her. "How is she?"

"She's… getting weaker and weaker each day," She bit her lip, tears already forming in her eyes. "It's almost sad but when I look at her, it's like she's not there anymore."

Zach nodded, listening carefully.

Bex continued, "What's worse is I don't know what hurts more, seeing her in so much pain or having to know she won't be around much longer."

"I've never lost anyone I've loved," Zach said in a low voice, "But I know it must suck. I'm sorry you have to go through this.

"Thank you," She whispered, not meeting his eyes. "It's just getting harder and harder. Each day, I'm so cautious and paranoid she might not wake up from her sleep. I'm getting scared. I don't want to lose her but I hate seeing her like this."

"I don't know what to say except _I'm sorry _and that isn't good enough," Zach sighed, "And you deserve more than a weak apology."

She just shook her head, laughing a little. But it wasn't her usual laugh. It was a very sad laugh. "The fact that you're here, already means so much to me."

Zach smiled, "do you want me to call Grant? We can watch a movie. It'll take your mind off of things."

Bex looked at him and nodded slowly, "Okay, just let me change. I really don't want Grant to make of me for looking like this."

"You look just fine," Zach promised.

She sat up, slowly getting out of bed and looked at him, "Thank you Zach… for everything. For being here. It means a lot."

Zach just nodded, not knowing how to respond. But then he said, "Hey, can we talk about something real quick?"

Bex looked at him, "Sure? What's on your mind?"

"The other night at the party," Zach said slowly, hoping she'd remember. He really didn't want to say it out loud. But Bex just remained silent, urging him to go on. He cracked his knuckles to stall for time then said, "Well, you were a bit buzzed and you said something kind of funny."

"What?"

"That… you loved me," Zach answered, feeling just as awkward as when he first told her. Bex's eyes widened a little as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh…" she bit her lip, turning red. "Did I really?" She faked a laugh, "well, that was just pure utter nonsense."

"Are you sure?"

She didn't respond, instead she walked into her bathroom.

::

As Cammie was finishing up her homework, her phone vibrated with a text message. It was from Zach. She dropped the pen she was holding and quickly read his message, eager to talk to him. His message read: _Good morning Gallagher Girl, what're you up to?_

She brought her feet up on her chair, hugging her knees to her chest and replied: _Morning and nothing much. Homework. What about you? _She hit send, finding herself smile a little. Why was she so happy to get Zach's text messages? She led herself into believing it was because she just loved talking to him. The two had so much in common and so many opinions, it was hard not to love talking to each other.

A few seconds later, Zach replied. _Um, hanging out with some friends, we're gonna watch a movie_. Cammie read the message and hit reply: _An action movie, I presume? _

Zach's message didn't come as quickly as it first did so Cammie wondered what could be taking him so long. Before she checked her phone again, her mother came into her room followed by Liz. Cammie's mom smiled, "Hey sweetie, your friend is here for you."

Liz smiled politely at Cammie's mom and looked at Cammie, "I was wondering if you could help me with my math homework."

Cammie's mom smiled brightly, "Well, I'll let you two get to that while I get lunch ready." She walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. Cammie swiveled on her desk chair to face Liz. "Hey, how'd you know where I live?"

"School directory," Liz shrugged and took a seat on Cammie's bed. She carefully placed down her backpack then unzipped it to grab her binder. She looked up at Cammie and said, "So…? I heard Zach called you yesterday."

Cammie, who impulsively reached out for her phone again, stared at her. "Oh? Um, yeah. We hung out."

"Really?" Liz asked, surprised. "And here I thought he reserved all this time for make out sessions with Bex."

Cammie shrugged, feeling her phone vibrate on her desk. She reached out to grab her phone, reading Zach's latest message. _Are you teasing me or is this what you can pass off as flirting? _

Cammie fought the urge to laugh out loud. But she looked back at Liz, who was staring at her intently. "Oh, well… we just hung out. So, how was your weekend with your family?"

"Good." Liz answered shortly.

That didn't leave much for a conversation. Cammie turned back to her desk, typing a reply as Liz started scribbling something in her binder. Cammie replied with: _I'm not flirting. And if I was, I'm sure you'd be able to tell. _

He replied within seconds, _such a shame, I was kind of hoping you were. Haha. Just kidding, so what is a very good movie for a depressed teenage girl?_

_Is this code for you wanting to start watching lame romantic movies?_

_Uh, no. but my friend has been down lately and I really want to cheer her up :)_

_Oh, you're too sweet, Zachary._

_I do try, Gallagher Girl._

As Cammie was typing up her latest response, Liz's voice asked, "Cammie do you like Zach?" She asked shyly, pulling on the edges of her long sleeve arms. Cammie nearly dropped her phone in shock. She turned around, her eyes wide. "Um, what?"

"Do you like Zach…?" She asked again, more confidence this time.

Cammie bit her lip. Where did that question come from? She looked at her friend, then said, "Um, no. He's just a friend."

"Oh."

"Why? Do _you_ like Zach?"

Liz turned pink. Cammie's eyes widened with surprise. She knew Liz thought Zach was really cute and totally kissable. But she just assumed it was some crush, like how most girls at school had a crush on the boys on the soccer team. But Liz _liked_ Zach? Like really liked him?

"Wow," Cammie said, completely shocked.

Liz shrugged, "I think he's cute, okay?"

"Yeah, and so do I. But, I don't like him!" Cammie retorted calmly.

Liz just bit her lip, "Well, I guess I do. And I don't want to sound like the crazy jealous friend but…" She let voice trail off, not knowing what to say next.

Cammie just nodded as if this was totally normal. But her mind was still spinning. She touched her forehead, trying to massage the thoughts away. She then looked at Liz who was burning red. "Please don't tell him!" She begged.

Cammie nodded, this time sure of herself, "um, um, of course not. Don't worry about it, secret safe with me." She tried to smile but she was feeling terribly awkward. She turned back to her phone but didn't bother to type a reply to Zach back.

::

When Liz left an hour later, Cammie went back to her room to study. She was still trying to grasp the concept that Liz liked Zach. Liz and Zach, really? But he was with Bex… kind of. Cammie plopped down on her bed, legs and arms spread out as she stared up at her ceiling in contemplation. Her mind was still spinning, because Liz was the last person she expected to have a crush on Zachary Goode.

Just then, her phone began to ring and Cammie answered, "Hello?"

"Hello Gallagher Girl," A sweet and suave voice came through Cammie's end. Cammie chuckled, "What's up, Goode?"

"Nothing much, I was just leaving Bex's house." He replied.

"Oh," Cammie said, trying not to feel jealous. Cammie wanted to kick herself she was really getting tired of her own emotions. Sometimes she thought she liked Zach. Then she thought she didn't. Was she really this insane or was it just a female thing? She honestly couldn't make up her mind. She knew Zach wouldn't like her like _that_. She was too boring, too plain, too vanilla for anyone to as adventurous as him to like. But secretly, she wished there was a part of him that liked her.

"Yeah, she's been having a really rough time," Zach said.

"Oh, is she alright?"

"She will be."

"What's wrong?"

Cammie could hear Zach's low chuckle and she hoped those butterflies in her stomach weren't real. Then he replied, his voice low and sexy, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

**a/n: haha, look at me, trying to squeeze some GG into this AU story xD So, yeah, please review! **


	9. day 08

**( day 08 )**

"It's almost Liz's birthday," Jonas said with a loving smile. Cammie, who was walking alongside him, looked up, "Really? That's great!"

The two were walking into the school's halls on a very rainy Monday morning. Cammie liked the weather even if that meant she had to wear three layers of clothing to keep warm. Jonas seemed unfazed by the climate as he was sporting a plain t-shirt and khaki shorts. Cammie noticed Jonas smile to himself after mentioning Liz's name.

Wait, did Jonas like Liz?

Cammie stopped in her tracks and pulled Jonas aside, "Are you doing anything special for her?"

Jonas nodded, looking almost sheepish, "Well, yeah, I usually do. But I really want this birthday to be special, she is turning seventeen, you know?"

Cammie nodded, raising an eyebrow, "Jonas, you and Liz… you're just… friends, right?"

Jonas cleared his throat, a blush creeping on his face. He let out a nervous laugh while scratching the back of his neck. He looked over Cammie's head to wave someone over. Cammie turned around and saw Preston coming up to them.

Preston smiled, "Morning guys!" His hair was tousled and gelled today, Cammie noticed. He even wore a shirt with a collar instead of his usual t-shirt with not-so-funny scientific phrases. Cammie looked at him suspiciously, "Are you trying to impress anyone Preston?"

Preston laughed, "No, why?"

Cammie looked him up and down, indicating his new outfit choice. Preston nodded, "I just felt like dressing up."

"Guys never feel like dressing up," Cammie rolled her eyes.

"Well, I did," Preston shrugged, walking away from her and Jonas. Jonas just laughed, "Yeah, that kid is weird."

Cammie nodded in agreement but looked at him, "Um, excuse me? You didn't answer my question."

Jonas laughed, looking uncomfortable. "Oh? Right! What was it again?" He tugged on the neck line of his t-shirt as if it wasn't raining cats and dogs outside.

"Do you like Liz?"

Jonas fake laughed again, "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer the question!"

Jonas cleared his throat and shrugged, "Cammie, I gotta get going. I really don't want to be late to class." He didn't even bother to answer; he just stepped away from her and disappeared in the herds of students rushing to get away from the rain.

"Good morning Gallagher Girl," a familiar voice said calmly behind her. Cammie turned around and there was Zach, in a black hoodie and a text book in hand. He half smiled with one hand in his pocket. His hair was up and spiky, but from the rain drops that must've fallen on him. As far as Cammie could tell, Zach didn't use hair gel.

"Are _you_ stalking me?" She smirked.

Zach laughed, "What makes you think that?" He walked forward and leaned against the locker right by hers. Cammie turned to open her locker and grab her necessary things. She then glanced at Zach and said, "Well, you're always there, calling me on the phone, texting me, asking me to hang out, and being here. I'd say that makes you a stalker."

Zach raised an eyebrow, offended. But Cammie said something before he could, "But that doesn't mean I mind." Zach smiled, relaxing a little. "Well, let's just say, you're one of my favorite people to talk too."

"Why?"

Zach looked at her, not knowing how to respond. But he just smiled again, "I have my reasons." He watched her as she grabbed her US History text book and closed her locker door. She hugged her text book to her chest and said, "I don't think your girlfriend would like that very much."

Zach laughed, "Bex isn't my girlfriend."

"Well, does she know that?"

"Yes?"

"So, why is she charging over here in angry stomps?" Zach turned around at Cammie's words and saw Bex walking up to them with a stern glare on her eyebrows. She walked up to them, her jeans hugging the curve of her hips. She smiled tightly at Cammie, "Hi," She said then looked at Zach, "Are we going to class now?"

Zach looked at her then looked over at Cammie, "I'll see you later, Gallagher Girl." He said and followed after Bex obviously not being able to refuse her. Cammie just nodded and turned around to watch them leave. She'll admit it stung a little to see them. She sort of wished that Zach stayed back and walked with _her_ instead.

But Cammie sighed and walked to class by herself.

::

Zach followed Bex but she was going at a hundred miles per hour. Zach chuckled, she never liked walking fast. She believed that being tardy was not a sin, because things _and people_ could wait. Zach grabbed onto her arm, stopping her. "Hey? What's wrong?" He looked in her eyes, seeing a sadness that no one else seemed to see. She didn't meet his eyes as she stared down at her shoes. Then she said in a low whisper, "My grandmother was taken to the hospital today."

"Oh," Zach frowned, his mood automatically dampening. "I'm sorry, what happened?"'

Bex shrugged, "I don't know, my mom said she's been getting restless and getting worse." She bit her lip and Zach noticed she wasn't wearing any make up. Her beautiful face was naked for the first time since Zach met her. She looked up at Zach, "will you go to the hospital with me?"

Zach nodded, "Of course, I will."

"Thank you," She whispered and pulled him into a hug. They separated and Zach led her into their first period class with half the class already there. They took their usual seats and Zach got worried. What if Bex's grandmother died soon? How would Bex handle that? He knew for a fact that he'd always be there for her. Always. But Zach wouldn't be able to fix everything. Sure, he'd be able to make her smile and forget about all the sadness for awhile. But how would he be able to cure that ache in Bex's chest when her grandmother was finally six feet under? How would he be able to comfort her then? Bex was one of his best friends and even if she was the bitchiest girl out there. Zach cared about her so much. She was his best friend, she was his first. His first _everything_. First girlfriend, first kiss, first time. She was it. She might not be his first love. But she was definitely important to him.

As Mr. Solomon came in, the class settled down. He quickly assigned chapter review homework and then began playing a movie on the American Revolution. The lights went off as the documentary projected onto the viewing screen. Bex scooted her desk closer to Zach and whispered, "Are you seriously watching this?"

Zach turned to her, hardly making out her features in the dark. "Nah," he replied then said, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," Bex nodded, eyes facing the film but not really paying attention.

"I just… I'm always going to be here for you, okay?" Zach said in a low whisper, "And whatever happens to your grandmother you're going to make it through. I promise."

She turned to him. The only light that fell on Bex's face was from the movie and Zach could see clearly her eyes were tearing up. She nodded, not wanting to say anything else. Zach turned around and looked for Cammie. He saw her at her usual spot, watching the movie playing in front of her. Zach watched her for a moment then turned back to the front.

If someone asked Zach if he liked Cammie, he'd be lying if he said no. But at the same time, he'd be lying if he said yes.

She was smart, funny, pretty, and interesting. He could barely keep up with her. She was amazing. But if Zach told her he liked her, that'd just fuck everything up. She was too good for him. Way too good. And if they did start dating, Zach would just mess it up. He didn't know how to be a good boyfriend. His only relationship experience was off Bex. And she… well, she dated a lot of other guys during the process.

When class was almost over, Mr. Solomon switched on the lights and everyone groaned as they tried to adjust to the light. Zach stretched his arms and stood up. He looked over at Cammie and smiled a little. He then turned back and was facing the scowl on Bex's face. Zach avoided her eyes by collecting his papers and stuffing them into his binder.

Bex cleared her throat, "Do you want to go out tonight?"

Zach raised his eyes to look at her, his head still hung low. "Sure… Wanna stop by McDonald's or something?"

She shook her head, "No, I mean, a real date. Like… like how we used to." She pulled on the straps of her tote and slung it over her shoulder, waiting for his answer.

"Um, sure… but, not tonight, okay? I have practice after school," Zach replied noticing her face fall a little. Then he said, "But I'd love to on Friday? We can go to that restaurant that you love so much."

She smiled, "Sounds Great." She turned on her high heels and walked out to get to her next class. Zach walked out slowly. Even if Bex was really sad about her grandmother's illness, he still couldn't see her as his girlfriend. He just couldn't. The past few days have been the most time they've spent together since last school year. But even if Bex let her walls come down when he was around, he just couldn't _love_ her.

"Hey you!" Cammie's voice broke his train of thought. Zach turned to her and smiled as they walked side by side to Chemistry. She looked at her, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh no, I'll sell them for a dollar." Zach replied back, chuckling at his own comeback.

Cammie thought about it for a moment then laughed, "The Band Perry? Really?"

Zach chuckled, "I'm full of surprises."

"That you are." Cammie said as they walked down the hall and into their class, "Are you ready to blow stuff up?"

Zach's smile got wider, "You bet."

::

The two walked over to their assigned lab table and listened to all the directions Mrs. Dabney gave her students. After that was settled, the pairs began to arrange the tubes and bottles onto their desk. Zach looked at Cammie as he poured water into his salt mixture. "This is fun."

"Do you want to be a scientist when you grow up?" Cammie asked as she measured her test tube.

Zach shrugged, "I could be."

"You'll probably make some poisonous concoction."

"You have such little faith in me, Gallagher Girl."

Cammie just smiled, "so how was the rest of your weekend?"

"Pretty good," Zach replied, "I've kind of just been helping Bex out."

"You're a really good boyfriend," Cammie noted, trying not to sound jealous. She'll admit, she thought of Zach more than she should. She'll also admit that when Liz told her she liked Zach, she was a bit jealous. She'll also admit that she is very, very fond of Zach's company.

"I'm _not_ her boyfriend," Zach reminded her and looked up from the test tube he was pouring his mixture into.

Cammie turned around and smiled, relieved he wasn't. She then turned around, thinking about Liz liking him and suddenly felt a tight pain in her chest. She bit her lip and continued her measuring. Zach stood closer to her, "So, how was the rest of your weekend? Do you feel like a criminal for breaking a law?"

Cammie chuckled, "Not exactly. I mean, everyone did something on that wall. I don't necessarily feel like a criminal."

"I'm almost positive that's the most illegal thing you've done." He said, raising his eyebrow.

She just nodded.

He smirked, satisfied. "Okay, well, maybe we'll try something else next time then?"

"I absolutely adore how you're trying to turn me into a criminal. It's cute, really." She said back, focusing on the bubbles that were sitting in her glass test tube. Zach laughed again, staring at her as if trying to figure something out.

Cammie felt her face burn but focused on the project in front of her. Then he said, "I didn't say I was going to turn you into a criminal. I was just going to help you… live a little."

As Chemistry ended, Cammie and Zach were putting back their test tubes and beakers. They cleaned up and walked out of class together, the rain still pouring hard outside. They walked in a comfortable silence, not having anything to say but that was okay. Just then, Zach's phone began to ring.

He picked up, "Hello?" Cammie looked at him, his expression suddenly turned more worried. He was frantically looking for something in his pockets, "Okay…? Where are you now? The hospital? Okay, I'm going to meet you there, don't worry!" He clicked his phone off and looked at Cammie, complete panic over his face. "I need to go."

"What's wrong?" Cammie asked, scared for whatever news Zach just heard.

"I just… I need to go; I'll text you later okay?" He didn't give her a chance to speak, instead just dashed down the hallway.

**a/n: * cue jaws music * loljk. I'm planning on making my day productive by writing a lot for this story. Hopefully I get to complete it soon. Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and subscriptions! You guys have no idea how happy I get (: especially since I'm very insecure about my writing and don't let much people read it :P **

**Note: I really want to do a one shot, but I need prompts! So please, suggest any prompts, the most random prompts that you can think of and I will choose one of them to write a one shot about and I'll dedicate it to the said-prompt-giver. Yeahh… please? I'll have it posted before the end of this week! **

**Have a great day everyone! **


	10. day 09

**( day 09 )**

It was like a movie.

Everything was going in slow motion. The only thing Zach could hear was his own heavy heartbeat. All the noise around him was being drowned out. All the faces around him were turning into one big blur. He was sitting alone in the hospital's waiting room at nearly two in the morning. He was starving but he didn't bother to get up. He really didn't want to miss anything if he went out to grab a bite.

Just then, Bex came down the all-white tile aisle with her eyes swollen from the tears she cried. She was wearing Zach's jacket which was two sizes too big and hung off her body like a dress. She sniffled, wiping her eyes on Zach's jacket sleeves.

"Hey," Zach said, eyes tired from being in the hospital with Bex since the morning. He stood up, holding his arms out and she quickly walked into them as he folded himself around her. She cried hard onto his shoulder. He rubbed her back, not really knowing what to say. Her grandmother needed to be taken to the ER because she had a small stroke. Bex's parents rushed her to the hospital right away and called Bex. And Bex called Zach.

She continued to sob, shaking underneath his touch. When she moved her head to look up at him, –her arms still around his body—she whispered. "I'm so scared Zach." She held onto him tighter and Zach held onto her as well. "I know," he said back, tears forming in his own eyes.

Bex pulled away and sat down on one of the many empty seats. Zach sat next to her, putting a comforting arm around her body. She leaned into his touch, wiping the tears that cascaded down her pretty face. "She's… she's not waking up."

Zach rubbed soothing circles into her arm and nodded, "She's going to be okay Bex. Your grandmother is a strong woman." He knew this for a fact, Bex's grandmother almost never got sick and at her age, she still managed to do yoga and run miles. She was incredible.

"I hope so," Bex whispered.

Zach placed the gentlest kiss on top of her head and said, "She will be. And even if she won't…." His voice dropped but then he picked himself up, "It's for the best. Whatever happens tonight, everything will be okay. It'll hurt. It'll be the worst fucking thing in the world. But I want you to be strong about it. I want you to know that you will be okay."

She met his eyes, complete defeat written all over her own. "Thank you, but please don't talk like this. Not yet. I-I don't want to have to miss her already."

Zach just nodded, "Right, I'm sorry." He stroked back her hair soothingly. Then Bex's mother came down the same hall that Bex did. She looked incredibly tired with dark rims around her eyes, "Oh, Zach, I really think you should get going home now, sweetie." She ran a hand through her messy hair. "We'll take care of things from here."

Bex looked at Zach, eyes alert as she grabbed onto his arm. "No!"

"Rebecca," Her mother said like she's a two year old. She folded her arms across her chest but not out of anger, more out of exhaustion. She sighed then looks at Zach who shrugged, "I don't have to get anywhere Mrs. Baxter."

She sighed again, "I know, but your mother is probably worried about you." She sent Zach a look telling him not to humor Bex by staying. He sighed and looked at Bex, "Text me if you need anything." He patted her knee comfortingly and stood up. She looked at him then stood up herself. "I'll walk you out."

Zach nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. They walked side by side down the empty waiting room and out to the parking lot. Outside, the air was thick and the grass smelled of fresh dew. The moon was still up high and so were the stars. The town was quiet and the roads were empty. The only sounds Zach could hear were of the footsteps he and Bex were making. When they stopped in front of Zach's car, they turned to face each other, still not saying a word. Zach stared at her for a long time, feeling an unbearable pain in his own chest. It was devastating to see her so torn.

"Thank you for coming," Bex said quietly, as if someone could hear them. No one could because there was no one around. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it. Zach squeezed back ignoring how cold her fingers were.

"I said I'd always be here," Zach replied, "And I meant it."

She nodded, pulling her hand away. "I can just text you?"

He nodded as well.

::

When Zach finally got home, he pulled off his shirt and jeans. He splashed cool water onto his face and stared at his reflection. His eyes looked tired and so did his face. He wanted to fall right into deep slumber but he couldn't. There were too many things running through his head. In his boxers, he slid under the covers of his bed and pulled out his cell phone. There was no text from Bex. But there was a new text from Cammie. _Hey, you completely disappeared today. Is everything alright? I hope so. Text me just so I know you're alive. _

He smiled to himself and exited from her text. Instead of replying to her message, he called her. He knew she probably wouldn't pick up but he'd give it a shot. He waited the first four rings, ready to give up. But before he hung up, she answered. "…Hello?" Her tired voice came from the other end.

"Hey Gallagher Girl," He said, yawning a little. "What's up?"

"Zach?" She yawned too, "why are you calling me? It's like, almost three in the morning."

"I know, but I got your text and I just really need someone to talk to. Do you want me to hang up?"

"No!" She answered, a little too quickly if you ask Zach. "I'm worried about you, what happened?"

"Just an emergency."

"Is someone hurt?"

"Sort of."

"Do you want to talk about?"

"Not really."

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just really wanted to talk to you."

"Why?"

"Like I said, you're just one of my favorite people."

"That's flattering, but you barely know me and I barely know you."

"I know enough," Zach countered, sinking deeper into his comfortable pillows that smelled of fabric softener from the laundry.

"Do you want to talk in person?"

Zach raised an eyebrow, "What did you have in mind, Gallagher Girl?"

"You come over to my place? I'll sneak out."

"Whoa slow down," Zach chuckled, "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I won't!" She insisted, "I just… I really don't want to talk over the phone. Come on, let's do something crazy tonight."

Zach laughed, "Okay fine, I'll meet you at your place in ten minutes, okay?"

"Okay. And Zach?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you called."

"Me too."

::

In about ten minutes, Zach was pulling up Cammie's driveway to see her standing eagerly in her pajamas. Zach rolled down the windows to smirk at her, "I love your outfit."

"Oh shut up," She whispered and got into his car. She was wearing pink flannel pajama bottoms, a white tank top, a gray zip up hoodie, and pink house slippers that went up like boots. "I didn't want to make too much noise that my parents would wake up. Now come on, drive!"

Zach obeyed, driving away from Cammie's house. "Let me guess, this is the first time you've snuck out."

She didn't answer as she pretended to be fascinated by the chipping polish on her fingertips. Zach would take her silence as a yes. He drove down the street, not really sure where to go. "Where are we going?" He asked and glanced at her.

She shrugged, "We can just… not go anywhere and talk. I really don't want to go too far away. My heart already feels like it's going to fall out of my butt."

Zach laughed and parked by the curb. He turned off his engine but left the radio on as soothing slow songs played for anyone who was listening to the radio at three in the morning. He turned to her, "Can I tell you a secret?"

Cammie nodded, "Yes, you can."

"What do you think of me and Bex?"

Cammie raised an eyebrow, almost turning red. She cleared her throat, "I don't know, what am I supposed to think?"

"Do you think she and I are good together?" He asked, turning to face her.

She bit her lip, instantly feeling jealousy boil through her veins. "Well, I don't really know her…" She resisted the urge to scream out no. But she smiled weakly, "Do you… I don't know, like her?"

Zach shook his head, "No, I don't. I just wanted to know what you thought."

"You guys seem close," Cammie offered, pulling her feet onto her seat. She hugged her knees to her chest, waiting for him to say something back.

"I'm just helping her out. Like I said, she's going through some bad shit right now." He shrugged and looked at her, "Can I just take this moment to thank you?"

Cammie chuckled, "for what exactly?"

"Just for being you," he shrugged. "Just for being someone I can talk to. Don't ask me why but I really like talking to you. I just feel like I can be myself around you." He met her eyes and gave a small smile that sent butterflies down Cammie's spine.

She smiled, "Well, I feel the exact same way."

"Good," Zach nodded, awkwardly.

Cammie kept her gaze on him though. He then turned to her and just stared at her for a moment. Cammie's breath hitched and hoped he couldn't tell. But her heart was beating so hard that she wouldn't be surprised if it gave out. Zach leaned in closer, still staring into her eyes. She leaned a little too, already feeling a thousand sparks ignite between them.

Before Zach could come closer, she regretfully pulled away, "I think we should get going." She tried to smile. Zach stared at her, a little caught off guard. But he nodded, "Right, sorry." He turned his car on and drove back towards Cammie's house. But as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel, his other found Cammie's hand. He held it and she didn't let go.

**a/n: please review! I hope everyone's having a good week(: I'm having a pretty good one! **


	11. day 10

**( day 10 )**

Cammie stuffed her things into her book bag and quickly got to class. She was exhausted from her late night adventure with Zach. But once she got home, she couldn't go to sleep. Her mind was racing at a thousand miles per hour and she couldn't help but replay every moment in her mind. If she didn't pull away, would they have kissed? Would she have felt something?

Cammie wanted to scream in frustration. She couldn't help but regret the decision she made, but at the same time, she didn't. If she kissed Zach that would probably lead her into a spiral of problems. He was sort of kind of with Bex. Liz liked him. Liz was a really good friend to her. She didn't want to ruin that or Zach's friendship with Bex. It was all a little too fucked up and crazy.

"Good morning, Cammie," Grant Newman greeted her as she walked into US History with him. Cammie looked up at him with a smile, "Hey Grant." Once Grant took his usual seat next to Zach, he and Cammie separated. Cammie also tried to avoid Zach's face as hers burned red with embarrassment. She quickly made it to her seat when Mr. Solomon came in. Mr. Solomon assigned a short reading assignment and advised the class to start studying for the upcoming test they'd be taking.

Cammie pulled out her binder and flipped open her textbook. She turned to the assigned page and began copying the questions. She was working with great focus that she didn't even notice Zach sit on the desk beside her. She turned to him and he smiled, placing his books on top of his desk. Cammie nodded back then went back to her work, copying the words furiously.

"Are you ignoring me?" Zach asked, opening his book and flipping through each page slowly. He was in no hurry to start on his work.

"No, of course not," Cammie didn't look up from her book.

"Okay good, because since we'll be partners for our next class and that'd be really awkward." He smiled and clicked open his pen and began writing.

"Where's Bex today?" Cammie asked since she noticed Bex wasn't in class that day.

Zach cleared his throat, "She's sick. But I think she'll be here tomorrow." He continued to write on his sheet of paper. For the first time since class started, Cammie finally turned to him to meet his eyes. She could tell he was uncomfortable with talking about Bex. So Cammie decided not to press on that topic. She looked at him, "Oh…"

"Yeah," he replied and turned a page on his textbook. The two began to work in silence for awhile, not really knowing where to pick up from where they left off. It was both uncomfortable for both of them. But luckily, Zach spoke up. "So about last night…"

Cammie's face immediately went red as she avoided his eyes.

Zach cleared his throat again, "I'm sorry."

She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, "What? Why are you apologizing?"

"I just… I shouldn't have come onto you like that," Zach admitted, "it was stupid and I could have ruined out friendship and that's the last thing I want right now." He met her eyes and Cammie couldn't help but notice how incredibly green they were. They were hard and fierce like emerald gemstones but kind-looking enough that you could fall into them. After a few seconds of just staring at him, she blushed. "Oh well, it's no big deal."

Zach studied her for a moment then nodded, turning back to his work. Cammie bit her lip, feeling her heart beat hard inside her chest. She shakily grabbed her pen and began working.

::

For the last few minutes in Chemistry, Zach asked Cammie. "So, do you want to do something reckless today?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Cammie, who was rinsing out her beakers at their sink, chuckled, "What did you have in mind, actually?" She watched as her beaker filled up with water then she tipped it over and drained it out. Zach came up next to her, wiping dry the test tubes. "We can skip the rest of the day and head to the beach." He said in a low voice.

Cammie looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "really?"

He shrugged, "Only if you want to."

"I really don't want to skip Calculus today," she said idiotically. She turned off the faucet and gave the beakers for him to dry. He began wiping them and said, "Oh, sorry!" He chuckled. "I forgot Cammie loves her Calculus."

"Don't laugh at me," She made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. Zach laughed, "Well, come on, I know skipping school is a big thing for you but I really would love some company. The beach is only a few hours away and it'd be nice to spend it with you."

Cammie turned to him, her insides a mess. "Well just this once, okay?"

Zach nodded, "You're the best Gallagher Girl."

"Score one for peer pressure," she rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "What's next? Drugs?"

Zach laughed then shook his head, "Nah, I'm above the influence."

"That's good to know."

He smiled and set the beakers and test tubes aside for Mrs. Dabney's next class. The bell rang and everyone quickly filed out. Cammie and Zach grabbed their things and headed down the hall. Cammie could feel her pulse beating hard. She was nervous about Zach and to skip school. What if her parents found out somehow? She'd never hear the end of it. But when Zach looked at her with his car keys in hand, she just nodded and grabbed his arm, "let's go."

The quickly escaped the school building through the back door and got into Zach's car without anyone noticing they were leaving. Zach waited till the bell rang for third period to begin, so no one would notice his car leave the parking lot. Once Zach was positive that everyone was safely in a class, he started his car and drove down the school parking lot. Luckily the school's security guard wasn't at his booth and instead in the office.

Zach ditched school easily. Almost like it was a routine. And Cammie wouldn't put it past him if he'd done it before.

"How long is the drive from here?" She asked and pulled out her phone. It was only 11:20. Zach made a quick turn and said back, "We'll be there before 12:30, I'm almost positive."

She nodded, staring out her window. Zach frowned, staring at the road ahead of them. "We can go back if you want to. I don't want to do anything you don't want to."

She remained quiet for a moment, contemplating his offer. As much as she liked Calculus, she'd rather be out doing something crazy and fun. And spending time with Zach was just a bonus. She shook her head, "No, I want to go. Besides, I haven't been to the beach in forever."

"Good," Zach smiled.

::

An hour later, they finally made it. The beach was pretty much deserted since no one went to the beach on the weekdays. Zach parked on the empty parking lot then he and Cammie got out of the car. They walked onto the uneven white sand and took in the smell of the fresh salty ocean water. White seagulls flew above head, squawking to their mates. Strong waves formed and crashed loudly onto the shore. Cammie smiled as she and Zach sat on the cool, soft sand. Her fingers immediately dragged through the soft sand. Zach sat back and stared out into the ocean, getting lost in thought.

Cammie looked at him, trying not to smile. He was just too adorable. She continued raking her fingers through the sand, making deep lines into the sand. "You've got a lot on your mind," she commented out loud but not facing him.

Zach turned to her, silence filling them except for the sound of waves pulling back into the water and sliding back onto the shore. After a moment, he said, "Yeah, I do."

"Is everything okay, Zach?" She asked, turning to face him. "I really don't want to pry but you're scaring me. And you're always so nice to me. I really want to do something nice for you."

"You're sweet, Gallagher Girl," he smiled.

Cammie tried to fight back the blush that was creeping on her face. But she just said, "Well, you don't have to tell me. But, I'm here if you do."

"I'll tell you," Zach said after what felt like an eternity. He stood up, brushing off the sand grains that stuck to his jeans. He reached out his hand to Cammie and she took it without hesitation this time. But this time, he didn't hold it for long. He let it go once they were both standing and started walking along the shore. Close enough to see the waves perfectly and all the seashells that sat under the water. But not too close that their shoes would get wet if the waves decided to crash to far onto the shore.

"It's Bex," Zach said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Cammie felt her heart drop to her stomach, "oh, what about her?"

Zach sighed, "Promise you won't tell a soul?"

"I wouldn't," Cammie promised him.

"Okay," he sighed looking relieved he had someone to talk to. "Well, her grandmother's sick. Like really sick. She's…. she's… dying. And she's Bex's favorite person in the world. And I feel so bad for her."

"Oh."

"I'm also scared that when her grandmother… is gone. I won't know what to do. I know you may think she's a bitch but she's one of my best friends and I love her. I just… I'm scared because I know when that day comes, it'll be the worst day of her life and it'll be one of the worst days of mine."

Cammie frowned, "I'm so sorry to hear that, that must be awful."

"It is," Zach nodded, "And I don't know how to deal with it."

They continued to walk in silence, not really knowing what to say or what should be said. Cammie was shocked, Bex almost seemed to calm and cool. So poised and perfect. It didn't make sense that she could be going through something like that and still have a beauty queen smile. It was almost unfair. But then Cammie realized what if Bex Baxter's perfect life was just an act?

"You said you loved her? Are you in love with her?" Cammie needed to know.

Zach turned to her as she interrupted his own thoughts. "Honestly? No. Like I said, she and I are just friends with the occasional hook up or date. But I do really care about her, okay?"

Cammie nodded, "Well, she's in love with you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I can just tell," She shrugged back.

"I guess I never really noticed," Zach lied because he did notice. He just didn't want to act on it because he didn't feel the same way. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Bex when she was already torn in so many ways.

"Why don't you love her like that?" Cammie asked, "I mean if you ask me, it seems like you're already in love with her."

"But I'm not," Zach pointed out. "I guess it's because if she and I got together for real, we wouldn't know how to be a couple. We'd be weird and awkward and something would mess up our friendship. I don't want that. Besides, I honestly think I'd be a bad boyfriend."

Cammie let out a laugh, "Are you joking me? You'd be amazing!" She tried not to sound way more excited than she really was. But she continued, hoping she didn't sound too happy. "You're funny, you're sweet. You do crazy things like take me out to explore the town. You talk about everything and you always manage to say the right things. You do sweet things like save me from a drunken Grant Newman and ask me to skip school to go to the beach. If I could dream up a perfect date with the perfect guy, well Zach Goode just did it better." She smiled.

Zach chuckled, "Thank you. You're too nice and a bad liar."

"I'm not lying!" Cammie retorted, shoving him a little. He laughed, "Okay, thank you. But see the thing is that's with you. It's just so easy to do all these things with you. If I were Bex's boyfriend, I wouldn't know what to do."

"What's the difference between me and Bex? Girls are girls and girls like when guys do sweet things like that." She pointed out.

"That may be true, but being around you is so easy. You're easy to talk to and you appreciate the simple things." Zach refrained from saying 'and because I like doing those things for you.'

Cammie smiled, "Well, I can't help it if I'm so amazing." She rolled her eyes playfully and gently slapped his arm but this time he caught onto it and made her face him. His eyes bored into hers and Cammie could feel the intensity from his gaze but she couldn't look away. It was intoxicating.

"Do me a favor," he whispered.

"What?"

"Don't pull away." Before she could answer, his lips were lightly brushing against her own. And then it intensified as his lips framed hers, passion burning through both of them. Cammie kissed him back, never wanting it to end. But it did when they pulled away for air. Cammie breathed heavily, remembering every feel of his lips on hers. It was the most intense kiss of her life, probably because it wasn't just a kiss. It was something more.

He stared at her for a moment, "You're the girl. You're the girl I kissed on New Year's."

**a/n: so like, I just wanted to fill everyone with shameless fluff because the next few chapters are probably going to be the saddest things you'll ever read (if I write it well enough). Haha just kidding. Or am I? Please leave a review and everyone have a good weekend! **


	12. day 11

**( day 11 )**

If there was one thing Zach wasn't sure about, were his feelings for Cammie. One minute, they're joking around like pals and the next minute he's kissing her and she's kissing him back. It was crazy, but the good kind of crazy.

Also, another thing Zach wasn't sure about was whether or not he wanted to be in a relationship. If anyone asked him a year ago, he'd say no. But now that he's met Cammie and grew up a little, things seem to be changing. His life motto used to '_less love, more sex, no calls, just text, new girl, no ex, more sleep, less stress_.' And he lived by it. But now things were different. He was different.

"Yo Goode!" Grant raced up behind him and smacked him lightly on the back. "What's up? You heading to practice?"

Zach looked over at him and nodded, "yeah. "

"Cool, so what'd you say to double dating with me and this girl I met last night?" He asked as they both walked into the boys' locker room. Already some of their teammates were getting changed and lacing up their cleats. Zach turned to Grant with a smirk as he spun the dial on his locker. "New girl?"

Grant nodded and laughed, "I met her last night at the movies. And let me tell you, she's a hottie."

Zach nodded, peeling off his t-shirt and changing into his jersey, "wait, have you and her…" he let his voice trail off. Grant chuckled and sat down on the long bench in front of the lockers. He pulled off his sneakers and replaced them with his soccer cleats. "Nah, but we will soon, probably."

"Nice," Zach commented and they both quickly changed into their practice clothes. They hustled outside and onto the field where their coach was already blowing his whistle having them sprint. Grant groaned then picked up his legs and started to race off. Zach followed after, not really putting much effort but keeping an appropriate speed with everyone else.

They ran like that for a good forty-five minutes under the warm sun. Zach got bored as he ran in the same circles with his teammates but this gave him the time for his mind to wander off. What was Cammie doing right now? They both acted casual when they sat next to each other in Chemistry, not mentioning the kiss they shared the previous day. Zach was sort of relieved because he didn't really know what to say.

He still had to think about it.

But Cammie did ask him to call her once he was done with practice. He was a bit nervous. What if Cammie wanted to tell him that she didn't like him like that? _Fuck_ that was going to sting. Zach sighed and continued running until their coach blew his whistle again, signaling for them to stop.

They all did, panting hard to catch their breaths.

::

When practice was finally over, Zach couldn't have felt sorer. He dragged his feet lazily to his BMW, noticing Liz Sutton waiting by her car. Zach smiled, "Hey Liz! What's up?"

She smiled, "nothing much." She was dressed nicely in a pink pleated skirt and white short sleeved shirt. Her hair was neatly pinned back with bobby pins and Zach noticed her lips had an extra shine to them. He unlocked his car and threw his gym bag into his backseat. He leaned against his car, feeling his sore muscles take effect.

"So, it's my birthday this Saturday, right?" She said with a small smile and looked happily into his eyes. He nodded, "Oh really? Happy almost birthday!" She chuckled, "thanks. Well, anyway, I'm having a party this weekend and would love if you came."

"Are you personally inviting me?" He chuckled.

Liz nodded, "I guess so. Do you want to come?"

"I'll be there," Zach nodded and turned to open the driver's door. He looked at her, "I guess I'll have to get you a present then."

"Oh!" Liz said, "No, you don't have to."

"Okay," Zach said with a shrug, "But I will anyway." He got into his car and drove home. While he was driving, his phone began buzzing. He pulled over and took his phone out, "Hello?"

"Do you want to come over?" It was Cammie.

Zach immediately smiled, "are you asking me on a date?"

Zach listened to her sweet laugh from the other end of the line, "no, but I do have cookies."

"Kinky," Zach commented with a smile. His face almost hurt from all the idiotic smiling he was doing. "But I'll be there in a few minutes. I just got out of practice and my legs hurt like hell so please tell me you have milk."

"We don't actually," Cammie replied.

"Okay, scratch that, I'll be there in like, ten minutes."

"Why?"

"Because I need to buy milk, obviously," Zach said and then they said their goodbyes.

::

When Zach arrived at Cammie's house with milk, she opened the door before he even had the chance to knock. She smiled, dressed in a pair of jeans and an apple green tank with a white cardigan. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun on top of her head and she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Anyone order some milk?" He joked, holding the carton out to her. She chuckled and took it, turning around. Zach followed her, closing the door behind him. He looked around then back at her, "where are your folks?"

"Work," Cammie replied, the short heels of her suede boots clicking lightly against the wooden floor. She walked into the living room where a silver tray with two empty glasses and a plate full of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies sat.

She took a seat on the couch and Zach sat down next to her. She opened the carton and poured the same even amount of milk into the separate glasses. He reached out and took a bite of his cookie. "This is great, did you bake them yourself?"

"Yeah," Cammie nodded, setting the milk carton down and picking up her own cookie. They both took a moment to enjoy their cookies, not saying a word yet. They just nibbled on the soft cookie edges and savored the melting chocolate chips. After they were done munching on their treats, Cammie took a sip of her milk and then said, "So… about yesterday."

He looked at her, clearing his throat, "Oh yeah."

"Did that… mean anything?" She asked shyly, her voice going low. "To you, I mean."

Zach shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was never one to talk about his feelings. In fact, he hated doing it. He would rather hear other people bitch about their own problems than explain his own. It was just something he was never good with. But he tried his best for Cammie. "Well, I'll be honest. It did. A lot. But I'm not sure how exactly I feel about it."

Cammie raised an eyebrow and met his eyes, "um, okay?"

"Did it mean anything to you?"

"Okay, my turn to be honest, yes it did… I really like… being around you," Cammie shrugged, hesitation cutting her words short. "I like talking to you because you're just so easy to talk to."

"I feel the same way," Zach replied, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, I'm not good with sharing my feelings, okay? But I just want you to know that I do like you. You're great but I don't know what to say or how to feel. I'm going to ruin something and I don't want to. I like us."

Cammie nodded, "Me too."

Zach sighed, drumming his fingers against his thigh, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Cammie nodded, feeling her insides tighten. She really didn't know where to go with this conversation.

"Do you like me?" Zach asked, almost shyly. But his voice and gaze was still very confident and determined. It always amazed Cammie how his calm, cool, and collected demeanor was never fazed by even the most awkward of situations.

"I do," Cammie admitted, turning redder than she thought she could.

He smirked, "I knew you would."

"Well, do you like me?" Cammie rolled her eyes, glad he was being playful.

"I do." Zach shrugged effortlessly. Cammie tried not gawk at him. How was it possible for him to just do that? But leave it to Zachary Goode to never lose his cool.

"Do you?"

"I don't know, do I?"

::

As the sun was setting over their town, Zach decided it was time to go home. He stood up and Cammie walked him out. After their little conversation, they easily settled back to their old selves. They laughed. They joked. They shared stories. They talked about nothing. They talked about everything. It was always so refreshing how easy it was to just keep talking and talking. Zach was not only a great listener; he was a great talker too. And Cammie wasn't only a great talker; she was also a great listener. They never seemed to run out of things to say and when something awkward happened (like a while ago) they could easily get over it and continue to talk.

"So, thanks for having me over," Zach said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. They both stood there on Cammie's front door step, just staring at each other for awhile. Cammie smiled, playing with the long necklace that dangled down her chest. "No problem, it was nice."

"It was," Zach agreed, pulling out his car keys from his pockets. "I guess I should get going now." He gestured to his car and then back at her, "will you be alone here? What time are your parents coming back?"

Cammie looked down at the watch that strapped around her wrist, "probably in a few minutes."

Zach nodded, "Okay, so this is me going now." He chuckled, not really wanting to leave but not willing to admit that out loud.

Cammie laughed too, "Okay, goodbye Zach."

"Goodbye Cammie."

They stared at each other for awhile, trying to memorize every special feature on the other's face. It was like that for a minute, then two, then three, and then four. By the fifth minute, Zach needed to stop falling into her blue eyes and get home to his parents for dinner. He nodded at her and started to walk towards his car. But Cammie grabbed his arm and walked up to him. She stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips lightly on his. Zach was a little surprised but got over that quickly and kissed her back. Her lips were just as sweet as he remembered. They tasted like strawberry Chapstick and were so soft that Zach would mold his lips into them perfectly.

They pulled away and she smiled shyly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" He found himself saying.

Cammie blinked at him, completely taken aback. But she completely built back her composure and nodded slowly, "I'd love to."

"Good." He said, almost relieved. "This Friday? Which is tomorrow, by the way."

"Sounds lovely."

"You're lovely," Zach heard himself say. He tried not to turn red with embarrassment. After all, he was never one for sappy lines to woo a girl. But this wasn't just any girl, it was _the_ girl. The girl he was almost positive he'd never meet. The girl who made him say stupid stuff and do crazy things for. The girl he loved talking to and making smile. The girl he couldn't stop thinking about, even at the most unnecessary moments. She was the girl.

Cammie blushed, "I'll text you later."

Zach nodded and made his way into his car. He hurriedly drove down her driveway and onto the street to his house. He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath. Kissing Cammie was definitely more heart pumping than running a few laps around the soccer field. He made it home and drove his car into the family garage. He got out and his phone began to ring. He half smiled, excepting Cammie. But that smiled immediately deflated when he realized it wasn't Cammie. It was Bex's mom.

"Mrs. Baxter?" Zach asked, a million thoughts already racing through his head. What happened? What happened? What happened? Mrs. Baxter never ever called him. Ever. Something bad must've really happened. Zach was suddenly scared, his heart pounding hard.

"Zach, she's gone. And Bex is a mess. And we need you." She sobbed into the phone.

Zach could already feel his chest tighten. He breathed heavily, "I'll be there."

**a/n: Let me sum up my weekend for you: I typed up the previous chapter for a whole morning, then I worked on my story for school (including illustrations, printing, and doing an about the author page) for five hours. Then I youtubed, read some fanfics, ate some bowl noodles, and then went to sleep. I live an exciting life, I know xD And now I'm finishing this chapter up and going to spend the rest of my day studying for my exams. Boo. **

**But on the bright side? You guys made me want to update quickly because you're all such sweethearts :) Your reviews make my hectic days better and I hope this story makes your day slightly better. Lol. **


	13. day 12

**( day 12 )**

Why is life so damn short?

A thousand different questions ran through Zach's head as he held Bex tightly in his arms as she cried. Her grandmother was dead officially at 6:32pm. And since then, Bex couldn't stop crying. He took her home from the hospital around nine that night. And now they were sitting on Bex's bed with tears streaming down her face, her hair tangled in a jungle of a mess, and her heart breaking into a million pieces.

"I feel like crap," She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. He sighed, tightening his arm around her. He stroked her hair gently, feeling worn out and tired. But he didn't want to sleep unless Bex did first. But she wasn't tired, or she was. But not the kind of tired that could be fixed with a couple hours of sleep. Zach just held onto her and she sighed, "Thanks for being here."

"Anytime, you know that." Zach said as they sat in the darkness of Bex's room. They sat there, on her bed, with all the lights turned off and not a sound was being made. Except for Bex's occasional sobs.

"Will you come to the funeral with me?" She asked her voice hoarse.

"I will," Zach promised.

"Say something to make me feel better," she begged weakly, tracing her fingers down her own arm. The only light that came into her room was the bright moon light that seeped through her curtain's opening. Zach could see her face almost perfectly. Her lips and eyes were puffy from all the crying and her face looked absolutely drained.

"I know you don't want to hear that it'll be okay," Zach started, stroking her hair back. "But it will be okay. Maybe not today or tomorrow or the next week or the next month. It might take awhile. It might even still hurt. But you will be okay. She's gone Bex and I know it hurts. But at least you don't have to see her suffer anymore. She's going to a better place, wherever that may be. And I know you're sad and hurting, but that won't bring her back."

Bex's tears fell faster at his words. But Zach held onto her tighter, "You'll always miss her, that's a given. But don't spend too long wishing she was back. I know that sounds dumb right now. But I'm saying this because I don't want you to be unhappy for the rest of your life."

"I miss her," Bex cried, holding onto his body tightly. "I miss her so much."

"I know you do," Zach whispered, "Promise me you're going to be okay?"

"I don't know if I can," She answered.

"You need to be brave Bex," He said.

A moment of silence passed and Zach wondered if she fell asleep, he moved her lightly and she breathed out. She said sleepily, "I love you for being here tonight. I love you."

Zach stopped dead in his tracks, feeling the blood rush to his head. But he didn't say anything back. He just let her sleep.

::

Cammie opened her locker door when Liz approached her with a wide smile. She was dressed nicely in a soft cashmere sweater and a pair of dark wash jeans. Instead of her regular sneakers, she was wearing fancy black leather boots. Her hair was brought into a high preppy pony tail and Cammie noticed she was wearing dangling butterfly earrings. "Good morning Cammie!" She chirped.

Cammie smiled at her, "Hey Liz, you seem happy." She commented and pulled out her homework folder from the insides of her locker. The folder had a number of stickers and magazine cut outs taped onto the front, all courtesy of Cammie's creative side. She opened it and pulled out some worksheets.

Liz shrugged while fiddling with the ends of her hair. "Well, I am happy." She nodded with a bright smile. "Okay, so guess what I did yesterday?"

Cammie shrugged, not even capable of coming up with any guesses. Liz was usually filled with surprises and was all over the place. She could have done anything yesterday. She could have become the new class president. She could have gone to eat out at that fancy Italian restaurant. She could have done anything.

"I asked Zach to my party and he said yes!" She squealed happily. Cammie's face froze. She wasn't expecting that.

"Oh." Cammie replied, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Really? Wow, that's great." She forced a smile and hoped Liz couldn't see through it.

But Cammie doubted she did because Liz was too busy boasting and gushing and blushing. Cammie hoped Liz couldn't see the anger that boiled in her blue orbs.

"And hopefully something happens at my party tomorrow, you know?" She smiled happily. "You'll be there tomorrow right? To help with the decorations?"

Cammie snapped back into reality and nodded, "I will, don't worry."

"Great, thanks!" She nodded, searching for her phone in her pockets. She pulled it out and began typing on her phone. Cammie cleared her throat, dying to know something. "Can I ask you something?"

Liz looked up from her phone and nodded, "Sure, what's up?"

Cammie shifted her weight onto another foot, uncomfortably. She was still trying to find the words and courage to ask Liz without making it a big deal. She bit her lip nervously then blurted out, "how long have you liked Zach?"

Liz smiled gleefully. "Oh, I don't know, probably since sophomore year. I mean, I know he's with Bex and no one gets in the way of Bex Baxter's guy. But… he's just so charming and sweet. I can see why a lot of girls are after him." She shrugged, her smile never leaving her face.

Cammie nodded slowly, taking in all that information. "Oh… well, do you want to, I don't know, go on a date with him?"

Liz turned scarlet, stuttering a little, "oh… oh… well, um, I don't know. Why? Do you think he'd want to? I mean, I know you two talk a lot… so…" She let her voice trail off, waiting for Cammie to say something back.

Luckily, Jonas came up to them with a smile on his face. It looked like everyone was having a really good day except Cammie. Then again, no one knew the exact truth but Cammie. Jonas nodded, "Hey Cam! Hey almost-birthday girl!" He enveloped Liz's tiny frame into his long arms. Cammie watched for awhile, feeling almost sad for Jonas. He was a terrific guy who had a crush on Liz who had a crush on Zach who Cammie sort of had a crush on but was kind of with Bex. It was all a little messed up.

Liz hugged him back tightly, "thanks Jonas!"

They parted and Jonas smiled down at her, his eyes dazzling with adoration for her. Liz was so freaking lucky. "I'll definitely be there for your party tomorrow."

"Great," she nodded. "Because your attendance is kind of mandatory."

Jonas smiled at her then glanced at Cammie then turned back to Liz. Cammie was giving him "the look" and he really didn't want to explain himself to her. Cammie felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she pulled it out. A text message from Zach lit up on her screen.

_I_ _really hate to do this Gallagher Girl. But I don't think I can go tonight. Believe I want to, I want to more than anything. But let's just say something happened last night. With Bex and her… you know. Anyway, good morning, I'll be late today, but I think I'll see in Chemistry?_

Cammie stared at the screen, trying not to look too disappointed. But even if she was disappointed, there was a part of her that was relieved. It's not that she didn't want to go on a date with Zach. It's just she honestly felt bad if she went and knew how Liz felt about him. If she went on a date with Zach, then she wouldn't know how to tell Liz or Jonas. Cammie shoved her phone into her pocket as the bell rang. She smiled at the two, "I guess I'll see you two at lunch."

**a/n: I'll admit, I'm pretty exhausted from this long week that I didn't want to write much. On the brighter side, the next chapter will be extra long (: ( I especially owe it to you all because I basically cancelled the zammie date. ) I just finished finals and my second semester starts next week. Also, I think I'll be updating tomorrow but I'm going to the beach with some of my friends. But I promise to type lots. I hope everyone's having a good week! Thank you again for all the support you give to this story. Seriously. You guys are all fabulous (:**


	14. day 13

**( day 13 )**

Cammie tied the end of her balloon into a tight knot and let it fly to the ceiling. It was already five o'clock and Liz's house was transformed into the perfect party setting. There were over a hundred pink and silver helium balloons that floated above to the ceiling. All the furniture was pushed aside and cleared off for dancing space. There was a long snack table placed at a corner of the room filled with bowls of chips, cans of soda, and various chip dip choices. Streamers laced through the room and low rock music played from the speakers.

"Everything looks perfect," Liz smiled happily and looked at Cammie. "But we definitely got to get ready now."

Cammie nodded as Liz grabbed her arm and dragged her up to her room. Liz's room was exactly how Cammie expected it. She had empty light blue walls except for a few picture frames that hung up. Her bed was neatly made and had a flannel duvet that matched her walls. Everything was orderly and it didn't look like a speck of dust would even dare to linger in the corners of her room.

Liz turned on her lights and Cammie noticed that on her bed sat five different dresses that were still held by hangers. She walked over to the pile of dresses, picking up one by one for Cammie to observe. Cammie looked over each one and put great thought into it. She liked all of them and thought Liz would look great in any of them. But Cammie had to admit, the pink party dress she showed her was by far the best one.

"This one," Cammie nodded, pointing to the particular dress. Liz looked down at the one Cammie chose, dropping the other options onto her bed. The pink dress was very rocker chic. It went down just above knee-length but could still hug Liz's torso. The dress was a very light pink and had black polka dots all over them. Two thin straps held the dress up and a black rose was pinned on one strap. Liz stared at it again, thinking. But after awhile, she nodded. "This is perfect."

She quickly ran to her bathroom and got changed. Cammie walked over to Liz's desk where she placed her bag with her things. She pulled out the navy blue dress she chose to wear that night when she noticed her phone light up with a text message. She released the dress from her hold and picked up her phone, pressing a button on its keypad. She noticed she received a new message from Zach about an hour ago. She read it.

_I really hope you're not mad about last night. I'm really sorry and have been thinking about it constantly. I feel really bad, okay? But I hope your mind hasn't changed about going on a date with me. I would really love to go on a date with you._

Cammie bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting to smile or get excited that Zach texted her and apologized. Seriously, guys like that were not easy to come by. And here was one, just standing at her feet and texting _her_ of all people. Cammie quickly typed back her reply.

_I'm not mad. And I'm not just saying that. I really am not. And no, my mind hasn't changed…. But I just don't think it'll be a good idea because of… certain things. Don't read too much into what I'm saying. I'll just see you later on (:_

She hit send and quickly changed into her dress before Liz came out. Cammie was adjusting the straps of her dress when Liz came into the room, spinning in her pretty party dress. Cammie looked up and smiled. "That dress is great on you!"

"Thanks, you look great too!" Liz smiled, running her fingers through her hair. Cammie stuck her hand into her bag and pulled out her curling iron and makeup bag. She smiled and gestured for Liz to sit on her desk chair. Liz strode over then plopped on the seat. Cammie quickly got to work, turning her naturally straight hair into loose curls. After, she dusted eye shadow on Liz's eye lids and drew on some eyeliner. She swept light blush on her pale cheeks and swiped a lip gloss wand across Liz's thin lips. When they were done, Liz looked into the mirror with her widening eyes. "Whoa," she breathed.

Cammie smiled, "do you like it?"

Liz nodded, staring at her reflection. Cammie would take that as a yes and continued getting ready. Cammie wasn't really in the mood to dress up, so she took her hair and piled it into a messy yet fancy bun. She only applied some mascara and lip gloss then called it a night.

"Let's get downstairs, Jonas is coming." She said as she was reading a text message on her cell phone. She stood up, slipped on her strappy sandals, and dashed downstairs. Cammie followed after, not as eager as her friend.

Jonas was there, dressed nicely in a white dress shirt but wore a plain black t-shirt inside. He wore dark jeans with a pair of black Converse high tops. His hair was messy but Cammie noticed there was a hint of gel styling it that way. He was holding a small box that was wrapped in shiny blue wrapping paper. Cammie could see a big "for Liz" card attached to it next to a white bow.

"You look amazing," Jonas said, catching his breath. Cammie had to smile; it was adorable watching Jonas look at Liz like she was the most incredible thing in the world. And to him, she probably was. Liz blushed shyly and accepted the present that Jonas was offering. "Happy Birthday Liz," Jonas said, his eyes shining as they met hers.

::

By seven o'clock, Liz's house couldn't have been more alive. There was a huge number of people, not as big as any of Grant Newman's parties, but pretty big nonetheless. Everyone was either dancing or eating or socializing. It was great and Liz seemed to be having a good time. Cammie was too, but as she danced with some of her new friends, she couldn't help but search for Zach's familiar face in the crowd. As far as she could tell, he wasn't there yet. She wanted to pull out her phone and ask him where he was. But she didn't. She didn't want to seem clingy or overly attached to Zach.

"Have you seen Zach?" A voice shouted in her ear. She turned around to see Liz swaying happily to the Gym Class Heroes song playing through the speakers. Cammie shrugged, trying not to feel happy Zach wasn't there yet because Liz wanted him there. Cammie immediately wanted to kick herself. Why was she such a bitch?

"I'm going to get a drink," Cammie shouted and turned to push through the dancing adolescents. She made her way to the snack table and grabbed an unopened can of soda. Cammie popped it open and left the living room to get some fresh air outside. She opened the front door and there was Zach Goode standing there, with his million dollar smirk and a present in hand. He looked good. Even if he was just wearing a royal blue long sleeve t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey Gallagher Girl," he smiled at her.

"Hi," Cammie said after approximately ten seconds. She cleared her throat and nervously scratched the back of her neck. "I was just about to get some air."

"Oh?" Zach asked, raising an eyebrow, "Well, why don't I join you?"

"Oh-okay," she shrugged as she closed the door behind her. He fell into step with her as they made their way down Liz's street. At first they didn't say anything, and then Cammie looked at the present in Zach's hand and asked, "What'd you get her?"

"Oh, just a new day planner," Zach shrugged, "I remembered she loves these things and was in need of a new one."

Cammie nodded, "Oh, cool."

"Yeah," Zach said back awkwardly. He side-glanced her then stared straight forward, not knowing what to say. He cleared his throat as she stared down at her shoes. He looked at her and stopped walking all together. She noticed his pause and stopped herself. She met his eyes and they stared at each other for awhile. "We should get back," Cammie said her voice low and quiet.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, concerned as usual.

She nodded.

He shook his head.

She insisted.

But he refused.

"I know when you're lying," Zach said to her not budging. He wasn't fooled by the mask Cammie wore on her face to shield her true feelings.

Cammie sighed, "I'm okay."

"Please don't be stubborn."

"I'm not! I'm just… it's just…" she sighed, feeling defeated. "You and I will never work out, okay?"

Zach stared at her, a little surprised. "Why do you say that?"

"Because there's this girl and she kind of has a crush on you." Cammie said lamely, feeling her cheeks burn up. "And no, this isn't some joke. I'm actually serious."

"Is this why you're being weird?"

"Yes," Cammie breathed out, feeling the tension leave her body.

Zach shrugged, "well, I don't care."

"You don't?"

He shook his head, "Of course not. Listen, in all honesty, I guess I could like other girls since you and I are not dating."

Cammie started to glare at him but he laughed, reaching out for her arm. "But I don't like anyone else, okay? I like you and right now, that's all that matters."

Cammie's face softened, her face blushing a little. "Um. Okay. I don't like anyone else either." She nodded in confirmation. She was surprised at how easy that was to admit to Zach. If it was any other guy, she'd be stumbling over her words and backing down. But there was something about Zach that gave her courage to be wild and crazy and _young_.

"Good to know," Zach said with a nod. "Ready to get back?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

::

Back at the party, Jonas was running his hands nervously through his hair. Cammie walked up to him, holding a drink in her hand. "What's up with the face?"

"Tonight's the night, Cammie." He said confidently, staring at his own reflection in one of the shiny picture frames. Literally everything in Liz's house was spotless. Jonas continued styling his hair as Cammie watched him, "what do you mean by that?"

"I'm telling her," He said back.

"Telling who what?"

"Telling Liz that I like her," he answered.

Cammie's eyes widened, "please tell me you're just joking." She was already searching the crowds for Liz and trying to figure out a plan from stopping this from happening. But Jonas was already turning away from his reflection and saying, "I'm not kidding. I need to tell her and now's the perfect time. She's happy. We're both dressed up. It's her birthday. It'll be great!"

Cammie stared at him and grabbed his arm tightly, "well, maybe it's not such a good time. I mean, she's busy with her guests and there are a lot of people here Jonas! Maybe you'd want to do this in private?"

"No way," Jonas shook his head, "I'm doing this in front of everyone, Cammie. I really like Liz and I want the whole world to know!"

"B-b-but no!" Cammie stuttered nervously. "I mean, don't you think you should find out if she likes you first?"

"Hey, rejection only stings for a while but regret will always hurt." He mused wisely, "I don't want to regret this by not telling her."

"Well, it's not like you won't ever tell her!" Cammie insisted, "You just won't tell her tonight."

"What if tonight's my only chance?"

::

Zach found Liz in the kitchen, talking to some of her friends from school. She was dressed extra nice and her smile seemed to shine brighter. She must've been really happy. Zach walked over to her circle of friends and tapped her shoulder. She turned around, her eyes widening then shrinking to its normal size. "Zach," she said sweetly.

"Happy Birthday Liz!" He said and handed over her present. She accepted it and pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back, feeling her arms tighten around his body. Zach noticed she held onto him longer than necessary. When they finally broke free, '_I'll be'_ by Edwin McCain started to play. She smiled and asked, "Dance with me?"

"Sure thing, Liz," he said as she tugged on his arm and led him to the dance floor. He spun her carefully then she folded into him, her arms around his neck and hers down at her waist. They swayed to the music gracefully. She leaned her head against his chest. He'll admit, he was a bit surprised at her sudden need of affection. But maybe like with Bex, Zach could blame depression or alcohol.

He hoped it was alcohol.

She pulled back and stared up in his eyes, "Zach, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" He asked, curiously.

She tightened her arms around his neck and took a deep breath. "I like you. Okay? As in more than a friend and you might not feel the same way. But, I like you. A lot." And then she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. Except Zach didn't kiss her back, he just couldn't it was awkward and uninviting. Sure it was sweet, but it was too weird. So he pulled away.

Zach literally felt his heart stop beating. What kind of twisted game was this? He looked down at her, staring into her eyes for a long time. "Liz…" he started gently.

Her face was slowly falling, but she tried her best to act casual. Zach continued as they danced to the music, "It's not that I don't like you. You're great. It's just… I kinda… there's someone else, okay?"

"Bex?"

"No, not Bex… someone else," he simply said. "But you're great, okay? And I'm still your friend, please just remember that."

::

If looks could kill, Liz and Zach would've been dead a long time ago. Jonas was giving the dirtiest glare that Cammie had ever seen someone give. It was a mix between hatred and disgust. But it also had a bit of sadness and hurt. But it was more on the hatred and disgust.

Liz kissed Zach. She kissed him! Right in front of anyone to see and who saw it? Jonas did.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath and stomped outside. Cammie stared back at Liz and Zach who weren't even moving to the music anymore. She then turned and followed Jonas outside. She caught up to him and placed a hand gently on his arm. "She likes him?" It came out in a low growl.

Cammie regretfully nodded.

"Why?"

She shrugged.

But she did know why. Zach was the dream guy of any girl. He was smart, sweet, funny, and really nice. Any girl would be crazy not to like him. She honestly couldn't blame Liz for falling for a guy like Zach.

"I feel like an idiot," Jonas sighed, scratching the back of her head. "I honestly thought she liked me."

"Don't beat yourself up for this," Cammie said in a soothing voice. "Things happen."

"I feel like shit," He shook his head, almost disappointed in himself.

"Hey, come on, if anything Liz's the one who lost tonight."

"No she didn't, she got to kiss Zach." He rolled his eyes. If Cammie wasn't positive that Zach didn't kiss her back that may have stung her more than it would have stung Liz. But she didn't reply to that comment.

"Did you really like her?" Cammie asked, sitting on the patio bench in front of Liz's house. Jonas didn't sit instead he paced under the front porch's bad lighting and nodded, "I did. I really did. I've had this crush on her for as long as I can remember."

"Well, maybe you can still tell her how you feel? Maybe she'll come around." Cammie tried her best to be optimistic.

He shrugged, about to say something. But was interrupted when the front door opened and there stood Zach himself. Jonas glared at him and looked at Cammie, "I'm going to go home now. I'll see you later?"

She nodded, not wanting to force him to explain anymore. He glared at Zach one more time and walked off the front porch steps and into his car. Zach watched him go, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Once Jonas's car drove down the street and turned the corner, Zach sat next to Cammie. "What's up with him?"

Cammie shrugged, "Oh, just some stuff. Are you leaving soon?"

He shook his head, "no, I was just looking for you."

"Oh." Cammie said, staring straight ahead.

"Was it Liz?"

"Was what Liz?"

"The girl with the crush on me?"

Cammie just nodded.

"Oh," Zach said. "Well, I don't like her, you know."

Cammie nodded again.

Then said, "That's good to know."

"Is she the reason we wouldn't work out?"

"I don't want to mess anything up with her. Especially, since she's been such a great friend to me." Cammie looked at him. "But I don't want to mess anything up with us either."

"Go on a date with me," Zach encouraged.

"What now?"

"Well, no." Zach shook his head, "but sometime soon. Promise me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Just call me whenever you're ready to go. I get why you wouldn't want to hurt Liz like that. Trust me, I don't want to either. But I really like you. If you haven't noticed." He smiled at her. "And I'm willing to wait however long till you're ready to take the risk and go out with me."

Cammie's insides felt like jello. "Do you always know the right things to say?"

"Only with you."

**a/n: teehee, why are zammie so cute? :D hopefully this chapter satisfied everyone. I just bought new school supplies and I'm excited for the next semester! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter and let me know what you think so far! **


	15. day 14

**( day 14 )**

Cammie's eyes slowly opened to a bright new day. She was terribly exhausted from Liz's birthday party that when she got home the previous night, she fell right asleep. She rolled around and snuggled deeper into her blanket and pillows getting comfortable. She could feel her feet sore from all the dancing she did with Liz till around midnight. That girl could party hard and she wasn't even running on beer. She was completely sober. Cammie's eyes drooped back down, falling into peaceful slumber. She had no plans for the day except to eat, relax, and not bother getting out of bed.

After a few moments of complete paradise, her phone began ringing. Cammie groaned, closing her eyes tighter and stuffing her head under a pillow to drown out the noise. Who could be calling her on a Sunday? A Sunday morning, to be exact.

But whoever was calling her wouldn't give up.

Cammie groaned again and pushed through her warm blanket and pillow to answer her phone. "Hello?" Cammie answered after the seventh ring with a glare on her face.

"Hey, it's me." Jonas's voice said from the other end.

Cammie rubbed her eyes, not used to the bright morning light. She twisted her body to see the clock on her night stand. It was 10:08. Cammie yawned, stretching her free arm out. The other still held her phone in place, "What's up?"

"How'd the party go last night?" He asked, his voice a little shy.

"It went pretty well. She did a lot of dancing and I'm tired as hell," Cammie groaned, rubbing her sore legs.

Jonas chuckled, "that's great to hear." He grew quiet and then silence. Cammie tried hard not to breathe too loudly, in fear of disturbing his thoughts. After awhile of complete silence, Cammie wondered if he was even still there. She wanted to say something, but didn't after he heard his low breathing from the other end of the line. He finally spoke, "Did she notice I was gone?"

"She did," Cammie answered automatically, remembering Liz ask where Jonas was when they were taking a break from all their dancing. She remembered the look on her face, a little confused and even surprised. But then she smiled, like she didn't even have a clue that she was the reason Jonas left early.

"That's good," Jonas said.

"Hey, what are you doing today?" Cammie wanted to stop her from saying those words but she didn't. Even if she just wanted to relax and spend the day in bed, she couldn't just leave Jonas hanging in his time of need.

"Why?"

"Want to hang out? I mean, we don't have to. But, you seem like you could use a friend and I can be there for you."

Silence again.

Then he said, "Sure, want me to stop by your place to pick you up?"

"Okay, just give me an hour or so to get ready. Text me when you'll be here." She said and after they agreed on their day's plans. They hung up and Cammie sadly got out of bed to start her day.

::

"Remember when we were in middle school and we made Valentine cards for each other?" Bex smiled at the thought as she dusted off her grandmother's picture frames. She held them tightly in her hands, memorizing every photograph till she could see it even when she closed her eyes. She placed them all neatly onto the fireplace in the Baxter's living room.

Zach watched her from the arm chair he was sitting on and nodded, "Yes, I remember we did them because we believed no one else would want to be our valentines."

"That was one of the best days ever though," Bex smiled and set one picture frame down but then picked up another and shining it spotless.

"It was," Zach agreed remembering the lame Valentines date they set up at Zach's house. It consisted of watching romantic comedies that Zach secretly hated and eating cupcakes that Bex baked.

"I wish we could go back to that time. Things were simpler back then." She said in a low whisper and bowed her head down to stare at her grandmother's photos.

"I know you miss her, but you're doing pretty well. I'm proud of you." Zach told her, staring up to meet her eyes. She stared back, already lost in those deep pools of emerald.

"Thanks," she whispered back.

"Do you want to go out today?" He asked her, folding his fingers together.

She chuckled, putting down the picture frame she was holding and dropped the rag she was holding onto the side table beside her. "You don't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"Take care of me." She responded, moving a little closer to him. She took a seat on the sofa that was right across his arm chair. "I mean, I appreciate it. Of course I do. It's just… I'm a big girl Zach. You don't have to protect me."

He nodded. "I know that. It's just that I don't want you to feel hurt. I only care because I'm concerned for you. I really hate that this is happening to you."

She smiled weakly, "thank you."

"So what do you want to do today?"

She shrugged, "Can we just stay here? My parents won't be back for an hour or so and I just want to sit here with you."

Zach smiled at her, "Okay, no problem. We can sit. I'm quite good at it, if I do say so myself."

::

"How are you feeling?" Cammie asked as she and Jonas slid into an empty booth at their local dairy shack. The restaurant wasn't that full considering it was Sunday, but Cammie wanted to get a table in the back so they could talk in private. Once they were seated, they flipped open their menus and began talking.

"I'm fine Cammie, I really am." Jonas answered, not meeting her eyes.

"You're lying," Cammie whispered. "And you're a very bad liar, so please don't try to say you're not."

Jonas met her eyes, looking tired and defeated. "Okay, I'll admit it. I'm not doing so well. I… really liked her, you know? And then fucking Goode had to come and ruin it all for me."

Cammie tried not to flinch at the sound of Zach's name being used. Especially so harshly. But she needed to be there for Jonas, "I know and I'm sorry for that."

"What do you think I should do? Should I tell? Should I avoid her? Maybe avoid her and not bother telling her all together?" Jonas asked quickly, already lost in thought.

Cammie laughed and stopped him. "Okay, whatever you do, don't just avoid her and not tell her why. Girls _hate_ that. And no one deserves that kind of torture."

"Liz does," Jonas grumbled.

Cammie laughed again, "Maybe she does. But it's not entirely her fault you know."

"Yeah, I know," Jonas said bitterly.

Cammie frowned, "I know you really liked her Jonas. But just because she kissed Zach doesn't mean there's no chance of you two ever happening. She does know what great guy you are."

"I hate him," Jonas glared. "I seriously fucking hate Zach Goode."

Cammie bit her lip, restraining the urge to say something back. But she let Jonas continue, not wanting to interrupt the anger he was letting out. He was like a volcano exploding with hot lava. "He's so fucking perfect and everyone fucking loves him. I mean, he screws up or gets suspended and still, he's looked at like some superhero. I swear it's sickening how everyone looks up to him like that. You know, if you're not rich or good looking or good at some sport, it's like you don't even matter."

"Hey stop that!" Cammie frowned, "you matter to me, okay? Don't go all suicidal on me now."

"I'm not," Jonas insisted, "It's just… I hate the guy, you know?"

Cammie shrugged, her voice low, "I'm not defending him or anything, but I'm sure Zach isn't as perfect as you think he is. I mean, he's just human after all."

"Oh Cammie, don't be naïve," Jonas rolled his eyes, "he may not be perfect but everyone thinks he is. Which is just as bad."

"Don't compare you to him," Cammie said pleadingly.

"Why did she have to like him?" He grumbled and pulled one of the napkins out of the dispenser on their table. He balled it up in his fist and then angrily ripped at it.

"We don't even know if she did," Cammie lied. Liz did say she liked Zach after all. But she didn't want to mention that and hurt Jonas even more.

"She kissed him!"

"There can be a thousand explanations as to why she would kiss him," Cammie defended herself. "It was her birthday, she was happy and excited. I'm sure that was just some impulsive mistake or something."

"I doubt that."

"Well, the only way you'll know is if you talk to her," Cammie replied.

"I don't want to talk to her," Jonas rolled his eyes like a twelve year old. Cammie made a face then he sighed, "I will, just not now. You know how stupid I feel knowing she kissed him?"

::

As Zach was leaving Bex's house, his phone vibrated with a message. He pulled out his phone and saw he received a message from Cammie. _Where are you today? I haven't heard from you all day._ Zach smiled and replied back, _Miss me, Gallagher Girl?_

Her response came just as quick,_ Not exactly (: But I'd love if you came over right now for some cake that I baked (rhymes, lol). _

Zach smiled as he got into his car and started the engine. He typed his reply and began to drive. In a matter of moments, he was at Cammie's front door step waiting for her to answer the door. Once the door came open, there she was with a smile that made Zach's insides feel funny. "Hey there," he said smoothly.

Cammie smiled, "Cake?" She turned and made a bee line for the kitchen. Zach followed her after, already smelling hot fudge chocolate in the air. It was like pure heaven. He took a seat on one of the counter's stools and Cammie slid a plate in front of him. "Okay, try it!" She cajoled.

He picked up a fork and took a small piece of the still warm cake. He took a bite, savoring the flavor. "Delicious." He commented and took another bite.

She smiled proudly, "thanks!" She moved over next to him and sat on the stool next to him. She didn't eat any cake though. Instead she just watched him then asked, "Can I admit something?"

"Anything if you keep baking cakes like this," Zach pointed to the half-finished cake on his plate.

She smiled then took a deep breath, "I… really like having you around. I don't know, I just do. And I wanted to remind you, you know, in case you forgot."

Zach smiled at her shyness, "I didn't forget and I'm glad you feel that way."

She nodded, staring at her hands.

"Tell me again why we can't date?" He asked after a moment. Cammie froze at his words. She wasn't expecting him to ask that. Especially since she didn't really have an answer for that. She turned to him, mouth agape and at a complete loss of words. "I-I…" her voice died down before it even had the chance to grow.

"Don't say it," Zach smirked at her. "Listen, I really like you. And I'm dying to take you on a proper date. But I don't know if you want the same thing..?"

"I do!" Cammie interjected.

"Well, that's good," Zach said then continued, "But I know things are a little crazy right now and shit. Which is totally bad karma for both of us. I just hope that if you want us, you'll take the risk and go out with me. Believe me; I like you a whole lot. But I don't know how long I can wait. Which is a total bluff because I'd wait a pretty damn long time. But I'll give you till the end of this week. Hopefully nothing gets in the way. But I'm aiming for Friday?"

"Okay," Cammie said after awhile. How could she refuse?

::

Cammie lay in bed with a head full of thoughts. She had so much to think about and so much to worry. She tried not to over think, but she couldn't help that she did. She restlessly tossed and turned between her covers and bed. She was tired, very tired. But she just couldn't sleep. Her thoughts were keeping her up at night.

Of course she liked Zach. There was nothing more she wanted than to be called his and he hers. She sighed in frustration but smiled at all the good memories she had with him. She smiled idiotically at the thought when her phone vibrated. She grabbed it and saw it was Liz calling.

"Hello?" Cammie asked.

"Jonas just called me," Liz said, her voice sounding like she had just been crying. "I… he's… I have no idea what to do, Cammie."

"Oh gosh," Cammie replied, already feeling the euphoria she felt re-living her memories with Zach crashing down. "Are you mad at him?"

"No," Liz said, her voice shaky. "But… but… I don't think he wants to see me or talk to me."

"I'm sorry Liz," Cammie said, feeling bad for her friend.

"I didn't want to hurt him," She sobbed into the phone, "But… I can't help that I like Zach."

**a/n: hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews on the previous chapter. You guys are all amazing. I've been pretty swamped with school so I apologize for the slow updates. Happy February! I hope you're all having a good year so far and it's almost Valentine's Day! Yay. Do tell me about your Valentine's plans, lol. Please leave me reviews, I'd love some feedback. **


	16. day 15

**( day 15 )**

"So how's Bex holding up?" Grant asked the next day at school. He and Zach were making their way to first period. It was Monday morning and Bex wouldn't be at school today.

"Well, she's been better," Zach shrugged as they passed a crowd of sophomores and freshmen. Grant looked down at his shoes, suddenly feeling bad for their friend. He looked up at Zach and said, "Oh."

"Do you want to go to the funeral?" Zach asked him.

"I would. But I don't know. Should I?" Grant seemed unsure and Zach couldn't blame him. Grant was Mister Macho. He was almost bad at expressing his feelings as Zach was.

"Well, she wants you there," Zach nodded.

"I guess I'll go." Grant said after a while as they both walked into the room. "When is it?"

"This Sunday," Zach said back, his eyes searching for Cammie's blue ones. She wasn't in class yet and Zach tried not to care too much. The two guys took seats in their usual desks and Grant said, "So, what about going on that double date with me?"

Zach made a face, "Oh shit, I forgot about that. When?"

"Wednesday."

"That's a random day."

"She's busy on Friday." Grant shrugged. "So are you in? I could really use my wing man."

"I don't know dude, I don't have a date." Zach pointed out. "Do you honestly think Bex is in the mood to go out?"

"No," Grant had to admit, "But you could ask Cammie."

Zach tried not to smile at the sound of her name. So once he built his composure back, he said, "why her?"

"Because you're totally in love with the girl?" Grant offered.

Zach rolled his eyes, "I am not. I like her, yeah. But I'm not in love with her."

"Same difference in my book," Grant said back. "So yeah, ask her."

"I don't know," Zach shrugged, a little hesitant, "I mean, I haven't even taken her on a proper date yet. Asking to go on a double date with you is a little… I don't know, shady?"

Grant ran a hand through his hair and laughed, "Oh please, you're telling me Goode hasn't even asked this girl on a date yet?" His voice was raising a little, causing some of their classmates to turn their way. Zach scowled at his best friend and punched him lightly on the arm. "Shut up, dude."

"Sorry," Grant shrugged, wiping away and invisible tear. "It's just funny; you seriously haven't asked her out yet? What's taking so long?"

"I've asked her, believe me, I have." Zach grumbled and stared at the unopened text book in front of him. "It's just… things always seem to be getting in the way."

"Ah," Grant nodded, acting wise. "Okay dude, here's the plan. Ask her to this double date thing. And make it sound as casual as possible. Then when you realized you both had a great time. Which by the way, you will. Then ask her on a proper date. Just you two."

"I love how that smart plan actually came out of your dumb ass mouth," Zach said then started thinking to himself.

"Hey, I'm full of surprises," Grant nodded, smiling with triumph.

Just then, Cammie walked into the room. Her hair was pulled into a high pony tail and Zach couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. She was in a pair of jeans and a nice blouse to match. She had on brown boots that went up mid-calf and barely any make up on. Zach couldn't help but stare at her. Which was a totally bad idea, since Cammie could feel him staring at her and she was turning red.

"The sexual tension between you two is crazy," Grant commented in a low voice just for Zach to hear. Before Zach could answer, Grant called out, "Yo Cammie!" He waved her over.

Zach looked back at his friend in confusion. Cammie stopped walking and shyly made her way over to them. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Zach looked up at her and smiled, "Good morning." He then looked back at Grant and raised a suspicious eyebrow.

But Grant ignored him and stared up at Cammie, "Want to sit with us today?"

She looked at Zach then back at Grant, "Um, okay?" She awkwardly placed all her stuff on the desk beside Zach and slowly took a seat. Zach smiled at her, trying to ease her in. Then he looked back at Grant, who was on his other side.

Grant just smiled and nudged him, "Go ask her," he mouthed the words.

Zach made a face then looked back at Cammie with a smile, "Sorry about Grant, he's clearly trying to get me to get you to do something completely for his benefit." He rolled his eyes at Grant but he just smiled sheepishly at Cammie.

Cammie raised an eyebrow, "hopefully nothing illegal?"

"Definitely not," Zach nodded then cleared his throat, "he was wondering if you wanted to go with me on a double date with him and his latest… er, friend."

Cammie's eyebrow was still raised then she said, "Um, on a date?"

"Just something casual," Zach shrugged then said in a low voice, "I'm still hoping for Friday to be the first official one, you know?"

Cammie smiled then looked over Zach's shoulder at Grant who looked about ready to die of laughter. She ignored the gagging gesture he was making and looked at Zach, "I'd love to."

"For Friday or for the double?"

"The double."

"Close enough."

"Oh gosh you two," Grant faked a face of disgust at the pair. But deep down, he was happy for his best friend. He's never seen him happier.

::

"So about Wednesday," Cammie started once they were situated in their Chemistry class. Zach looked up from the beaker he was measuring and frowned, "don't tell me you're backing out already, Gallagher Girl."

Cammie laughed, "No way, how can I pass the opportunity of free food?"

Zach slapped her arm gently, "are you just in it for the food?"

Cammie just giggled and continued pouring some water into her test tube. Zach poked her lightly and she giggled again, trying not to drop the stuff she was holding. Zach stood by her and they worked together in silence. Cammie bit her lip as she began taking some notes. She didn't know whether or not she should say something. But then she realized she didn't have to. They were perfectly fine even with the silence between them.

They just worked well like that.

"Okay, this looks just about right," Zach said as he stepped away from their lab table. Cammie looked at his experiment and nodded approvingly. Zach stole a quick glance at her, marveling her beauty. Damn, she was beautiful.

"So… Bex isn't going to be going to school this week," Zach said after awhile.

Cammie looked at him, "Oh how is she?"

"Terrible," Zach sighed. "She's really sad and I hate that she is. But there's nothing I can do to make it better."

"You're making it better just by being there," she reminded him. He caught her eye and smiled, "I guess that's true. But sometimes I wish I could give more, you know?"

Cammie laughed, "Do you always need to fix everything?"

"No I don't," Zach insisted and sat on the stool in front of his desk space. Cammie sat on her stool, continuing to writing out their lab work. Then she said, "Really? It sounds like you do."

"I can't help it," Zach shrugged.

"Gosh, are you always so perfect? Sometimes I feel like you're not even real," she said remembering Jonas's remarks.

Zach chuckled, "Oh please Gallagher Girl I'm anything but perfect."

"Really? You're good looking, make pretty decent grades, star soccer player, all the girls looove you, you're nice, you're romantic, you're sweet to all your friends…" she pointed to each of her fingers as she listed his qualities. "You still think you're not perfect?"

"I'm not!" Zach insisted, "If you knew me a year ago, you'd hate me."

"I don't think so," She seemed skeptical.

"I was a big fuck up," Zach shrugged. "I'm honestly embarrassed to be that person again."

::

"Are you going to grab lunch?" Cammie asked Jonas as they made their way to the cafeteria. The halls were crowded per usual and the weather was still a bit wet. But Cammie was having a pretty good day. Jonas looked down at her and shrugged, "I'll grab some food, but I don't think I'll be eating in the cafeteria."

"Why not?"

"You know."

"Liz?"

He nodded.

Cammie sighed, "How long are you going to avoid her? I swear, you're acting like you're in the third grade."

Jonas just shrugged, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his dark denim jeans. "I don't want to see her."

"I'm sure she misses you," Cammie insisted. "In fact, I know she misses you."

"I don't care," he shrugged as his voice fell a little. They made their way passed the cafeteria's double doors and stopped as they stood in the end of the line.

"You do care," Cammie said her voice low in case someone was eavesdropping. But it's not like it mattered since the cafeteria was as usual, loud and rowdy.

"Well, I don't want to care if she doesn't," He shook his head bitterly.

"She does care. Come on Jonas, don't be a baby about this."

"Don't defend her, please."

"What do you want me to do?" Cammie asked helplessly as the line slowly began to pick up speed.

Jonas took a few steps forward then said, "Well, what you do if you were in my shoes? Would you talk to her?"

Cammie shrugged, "I don't know, maybe?" Then she said, "In all honesty, I don't think she did anything wrong."

"She didn't," Jonas made a face, "It's just… I don't know how to act around her. I mean, I know I can't hate her for this. But it just sucks you know?"

"Cammie!" Zach's familiar voice called behind her. She turned around and saw Zach walking up behind them. Jonas scowled and looked away. But Zach seemed oblivious to it at first. He stopped behind them and an uncomfortable, cold silence occurred. Cammie imagined it to be the equivalent of an ice glacier falling into freezing water.

Zach seemed to get the hint as he looked back and forth between her and Jonas. "Oh, well, I guess I'll see you later?"

"Um, sure," Cammie nodded at him, not really looking into his eyes.

Zach cleared his throat and said, "Well, I'll see you guys later." He nodded at Jonas but Jonas just stared at him. Zach looked back at Cammie with a confused look then squeezed her arm lightly and turned around and walked the opposite direction.

"I hate him," Jonas glared and continued to step forward. Cammie sighed, she really couldn't agree with him there.

**a/n: hey guys, Zammie pre-date, yay! I apologize for the slow updates since I've been pretty occupied with studying for tests and such (: you know, I gotta keep up my grades and stuff. But it's almost Valentine's Day! And I will try to publish a fluffy Vday oneshot for you all! I hope everyone's having a good month! **


	17. day 16

**( day 16 )**

Zach looked at Cammie with a small smile, "You know what we should do today?" He asked from across the table they were sitting in the school library.

Cammie raised an eyebrow and looked over at him, "what do you want to do? And let's not have it involving skipping school please."

"Oh you loved the beach. It was like… our first major moment together." Zach cleared his throat, "that kiss… I mean."

Cammie let out a low chuckle, "Um, our first kiss was on New Year's, in case you forgot."

"That kiss didn't count."

"Why not?"

"We were both drunk?"

"Um, I wasn't that drunk."

"You were the one asking me for a swig."

"But who was the one who remembered the kiss?"

Zach instantly smiled, "so my kiss was worthy of your memory, huh?"

"I didn't say that," Cammie turned bright red.

"I bet it was awesome, I am a good kisser." Zach smiled smugly at her.

"You're such a tease," Cammie rolled her eyes at him. She looked down at the heavy book in front of her and tried to focus on the words instead of Zach and her burning red face. But it was hard to concentrate when her heart felt like it was going to pop out of her chest.

Zach just smirked at her and stretched his arm across the table to touch her hand lightly. "Well, I was going to suggest something you'd totally love."

Cammie lifted an eyebrow, "like what?"

"Do you want to come over to my place? We could watch a movie."

"Really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I don't know, it's just movies aren't really your forte?" Cammie chuckled and scribbled something on her paper. She sneaked a peak at Zach and tried to hide the smile on her face.

He was watching her, taking a moment to reply back. But he chuckled too, "hey, I can host a good movie night."

"Are we going to watch lame action movies?" Cammie groaned, dropping the pen in her hand.

"They're not lame!" Zach insisted then laughed, "Well are you in or out?"

Cammie made a face then sighed, "Okay fine. Should I bring popcorn?"

"Just bring your beautiful face," Zach smiled at her adoringly. Cammie stared back at him, her cheeks turning slightly red. Zach cleared his throat and stood up slowly. "Let's get going?"

Cammie nodded, stuffing her books back into her book bag. She swung it over her shoulder and stood up, pushing her chair in after. She followed Zach out the library where the bell went off for lunch. The crowds were already swimming along the crowded halls. Zach grabbed onto Cammie's arm protectively yet gently. He ushered her along to his locker where he stopped them.

Cammie watched as he turned the dial and opened it to put his books in. She awkwardly stood there, knowing girls around them were whispering who knows what to who knows who. Zach turned back to her, leaning against the locker next to his. Cammie noticed his locker was already closed, she didn't even hear the door slam. He cocked an eyebrow at her, "So, I take it you'll be hanging with Jonas?"

Cammie bit her lip, really wishing she could stay with Zach instead. But she nodded, remembering Jonas promising her to be there. "Yeah…"

"Is he alright?" Zach asked, looking a mix of confused and concerned.

"Oh, yeah. Why?"

"He seems a little strange, I guess." Zach shrugged, "he's cool though. I remember he did this killer science experiment with bottle rockets in seventh grade."

Cammie smiled, admiring how genuine Zach sounded.

It was almost cruel how Jonas hated him so much.

"So, I'll see you tonight?" He asked with a smile.

"I'll be waiting." She promised.

::

Once Zach and Cammie went different ways, he pulled out his phone and dialed Bex's number. It rang and rang. He contemplated hanging up and calling later, but before the line cut off, her voice answered, "hello?"

"Hey you! How are you feeling?" Zach asked, wanting to kick himself for sounding so damn cheerful. But he couldn't help it. Being around Cammie could do that to a guy.

"Um, well, I've been arranging the funeral with my mom all day," Bex said back. "It's been pretty boring. How's school? Am I missing much?"

"Not much," Zach said back, making his way through a hall full of people wanting to get their lunch. "Anyway, I was just calling you to see how you were doing."

Bex chuckled, her voice still sounding sad. "Please stop checking on me. It's cute and I appreciate it. but I'm okay. You don't need to be watching me every second, Zach."

"I know, but I'm worried."

"I appreciate it. But it's been a few days and I'm trying to get over it. Or not really, I'll never be over it completely. I'm just trying to get by. Hopefully it works."

"Want me to stop by later?"

"Nah, I'm good. We're driving to my uncle's place tonight. Some Baxter family down time, I guess." She chuckled like it was supposed to be a joke.

"Sounds good," Zach said back.

"Just be there, the funeral is on Sunday and I'm going to need you then."

"I'll be there," Zach promised her. Then they said goodbye and hung up. Zach stuffed his phone into his pocket.

::

"Are your parents home?" Cammie asked as Zach let her into the front door of the Goode home. He shook his head and closed the door behind them. Cammie looked around, taking in the sight around her. Zach's house was very cozy looking. It looked like a family lived there with all the photos and awards hanging on every available area on the wall. The house smelled familiar as Cammie breathed it in. Then she remembered that it smelled just like Zach's jackets.

"Come on, in here," he led her into his living room where the lights were turned off except for a lamp in the corner and the lights from the television. A pile of DVDs sat on the circular coffee table in the middle with a buffet of snacks. Zach's living room had two long sofas that were made of dark blue velvet that looked comfortable to die in. A nicely patterned blanket was draped on the arm of one sofa. Cammie could feel the comfort from where she was standing.

"Impressed?" Zach's voice came up behind her.

She didn't turn around, but she smiled. "Do you seriously have to try so hard?"

"To impress you? Yes." He replied Cammie could feel his hot breath on her neck. Shivers ran down her spine.

"I'm an easy girl to please," Cammie shrugged.

Zach chuckled, "I know. But you deserve the absolute best."

Cammie's smile grew even wider as the butterflies inside her stomach danced gracefully in chaotic spirals. She walked over to the coffee table to avoid Zach's eyes to pick up a DVD. "_The Notebook_?" She asked, surprised. She then turned to him with a smile, "Aw, someone's got a sweet spot, huh?"

Zach chuckled, "Not really. I heard girls' liked it though so what the hell?"

"Can we watch it then?" She smiled up at him, her eyes begging.

Zach nodded. How could he say no?

He grabbed the DVD from her and played it on the television screen. He walked back to her, offering the large bowl of popcorn. She sat down on the sofa, taking the bowl into her hands. Zach sat down next to her as they watched the opening scene in silence. Occasionally, they would both reach for popcorn, accidentally brushing their fingers against each others. But if they minded, neither of them showed it.

Sometime during the movie, Cammie looked at Zach and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It's Liz and Jonas."

"Liz and Jonas?" Zach tore his eyes away from the television screen and met Cammie's.

She nodded at him, "they're having a bit of an off season."

"Why do you say that?"

"They won't talk to each other," Cammie sighed, bringing her feet onto the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. Zach lazily draped an arm around her small form. Cammie continued, "It's because of you, Zach."

Zach looked down at her, surprised. "Me?"

Cammie nodded again, "Yeah, see, Jonas… likes Liz. A lot. And Liz well, she likes you."

"Fuck," Zach muttered under his breath, "that sucks."

"It does," Cammie sighed. "And I hate being in the middle of it. I mean, why doesn't Jonas just talk to her?"

"Does Liz know Jonas likes her?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, that does suck." Zach agreed, leaning further back into the pillows. He then turned to Cammie and asked, "Is this why Jonas always stares at me like he wants to kill me?"

Cammie chuckled, "probably."

"That clears things up," Zach said then his voice softened, "So… I'm kinda on your friends' hit list, huh?"

Cammie smiled, "sort of. But that doesn't change the way I see you."

"Props to you for being noble, Gallagher Girl." Zach teased her and she smiled then shrugged coyly. She then moved away from his arm and positioned herself to lean against the arm of the couch so she was across Zach. "Can you tell me something though?"

"Sure?" Zach moved over so he was facing across from her.

"Yesterday you said that you were ashamed to be your past you… why?" Cammie asked, crossing her legs and sitting up straighter.

Zach sighed, looking around the room then back to Cammie. His eyes looked sad and lost. Cammie immediately wanted to hold him. "Well, let's just say… I fucked up big."

"Do you want to talk about?"

"Not really," Zach replied then sighed, "but for you, I will."

Cammie stayed silent, giving him a moment to collect his thoughts. Zach started after running a hand through his hair, "I guess I always asked for trouble. I got into a few fights at school and even with our opposing soccer team. I went to the craziest parties when I was just a sophomore and got completely wasted. But the worst thing, the worst thing was when I got into this car accident last year."

Cammie's eyes widened, "Really? Why didn't you tell me?"

Zach chuckled, "Relax Gallagher Girl, I mean, I'm alive aren't I?" Then he continued, "I was drunk. Totally wasted and I took my dad's car for a joy ride. One thing led to another and I ended up in the hospital the same night."

"Did you break a lot of bones?"

"My arm and leg," Zach shrugged, "I swear, I looked horrible the next couple of weeks. Bruises everywhere, I looked like a purple potato or something." He sighed at the memory then looked at Cammie, "I guess this is why I told you my dad's tough on me. Ever since that night, the night I disappointed him, he's been expecting a lot. I don't blame him though."

"Well, you're different now, don't you think?" Cammie asked, "I mean, you seem different to me. You're a really good person Zach."

"Thanks Cammie," Zach said, meeting her eyes. "For believing in me."

She smiled, before she could stop herself she leaned over and met her lips with his.

**a/n: okay, so let me pull my apologies out and say I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG D: I know, I hate when stories take forever to be updated too :( Anyway, I've been really busy with school. But it's not just that, I've been so uninspired lately, it's horrible. And I've had to go through this dramatic thing with this guy that I like O.o sighs. Boys are confusing. **

**Anyway, I hope everyone's still okay (: and having good days and such!. **


	18. day 17

**( day 17 )**

Today was the day.

Today Zachary Goode was going on a pre-date with his dream girl. Today nothing could go wrong. Everything was going to be so fucking perfect that even the stars would shine for him tonight. It had to be. It just had to.

Zach stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom and ran a hand through his hair. Making sure there was not a hair out of place. He needed to look good. Especially tonight when it counted the most. He slipped on his jacket and grabbed the keys to his car. He paced around his room a bit, not wanting to be too early. What if Cammie laughed at him for being too eager? He honestly wouldn't mind though. He loved hearing that laugh.

But Zach couldn't be blamed for his actions. Cammie was amazing and going on a date with her would just about make his life. That may sound over exaggerated but it was the truth. He's been waiting two weeks to take Cammie on a real date and if this was the closest thing to it, he'd take it. If tonight went well, then that would mean Friday would go well.

After waiting the longest two minutes of his life, he decided it was time to pick her up. He raced down the stairs after saying goodbye to his parents and made his way to his car. He pulled out of the driveway and made his way there.

Every now and then he would glance at his reflection in the rear view mirror. He wasn't really insecure or anything, because no matter how conceited it made him sound, he did have pretty good looks. His skin was pretty much flawless and he knew how girls got weak in the knees whenever they stared into his eyes. Zach mentally thanked his parents for binding their chromosomes perfectly to have him.

In a matter of minutes, he was at her front door and he rang the bell. Zach could hear footsteps coming towards the door from inside the house. He waited, and then heard some low muffling then a familiar shriek from Cammie's voice. Zach placed a hand on the door knob, already panicking. But then the door opened and stood Cammie's dad in a turquoise sweater. "Hello Zach." He greeted him with a polite smile.

Zach smiled back awkwardly, "hello Mr. Morgan." He stuck his hand out and Cammie's dad shook it firmly. Behind Mr. Morgan's shoulder, Zach could see Cammie on the stair case mouthing the words '_I'm so sorry_' at him. Zach tore his eyes away from hers and locked them on Mr. Morgan's.

"Please come in," he said to him while stepping aside.

Zach remembered to wipe his shoes on the welcome mat outside before stepping on the nicely polished wooden floor. Cammie stood there, horror all over her face. But she looked beautiful while horrified. Her hair was done in loose curls and she wore a cotton dress that flowed down just above her knees. She had on sparkling ballet flats and her skin seemed to glow under the fluorescent lights from the chandelier hanging above them.

"Would you like to have some tea?" Mr. Morgan asked and placed a friendly hand on Zach's shoulder. Zach met Cammie's eyes who looked like she wanted to jump off a cliff. Before Zach could say anything, Cammie spoke up "Um, Dad. We really need to get going. I mean, we're meeting up with our friend and his date. So yeah."

"It'll only take a few minutes," Mr. Morgan said and looked at Zach, "Come on."

Zach followed obediently while Cammie sighed and dreadfully sauntered after. It only took a minute, but Cammie's dad already had Zach seated across the room from him with a tea cup in hand. It was almost ridiculous.

"So are you part of any clubs? Sports? Honor Society?" Mr. Morgan asked and lifted his cup towards his lips to take a sip. Cammie just stood by the entrance to the living room, already thinking of ways to escape her father.

But Zach seemed so comfortable, "Oh, well, I'm on the soccer team. I'm a striker, I've been on the team since freshmen year when I made varsity."

Mr. Morgan nodded approvingly.

"Dad! We're going to be late!" Cammie interjected, flailing her arms around as if drowning at sea.

"What's going on?" Cammie's mom came up behind her, wiping her hands on the dish cloth she was holding. She peered inside the living room and smiled, "Oh hello there, Zach."

"Good evening, Mrs. Morgan." Zach smiled charmingly and took a sip of his tea. Cammie tried to hold back a laugh, she was pretty sure he hated the taste of that herbal tea. She turned back to her mom, "Mom, please tell Dad we need to get going."

"Of course," Mrs. Morgan nodded and shot a warning look to her husband, "come on sweetie, the kids need to meet their friends."

"Okay, fine," Mr. Morgan rolled his eyes, as if bored. He then looked at Zach and smiled, "Please have my daughter home at a reasonable time."

"I will," Zach promised and raised an arm as if implying Cammie's dad had scout's honor. Zach placed down his tea cup on the coffee table and stood up. Mr. Morgan did the same and said, "well, we'd love to have you here again. Maybe we can talk about your soccer?"

"Sure." Zach smiled nervously back.

::

"I'm so sorry about that," Cammie said for the nine billionth time. Zach just laughed and opened his side of the door and walked over to open his. They were at the movie theatre, going to meet Grant and his mystery date. Zach pulled open the door for Cammie and she got out slowly, apologizing every time she could.

But Zach wouldn't hear it, because he didn't mind. He actually thought her parents were pretty cool. So he just smiled at her, flashing his beautiful Zach smile and reached out for her hand. She let him hold her hand as they walked over to the ever growing movie ticket line. There, Zach spotted Grant and the girl he was with.

She had dark hair that fell down her back like a silky curtain, pretty piercing eyes, and legs that went on for days. She was whispering something to Grant when Cammie and Zach walked up to them. She then giggled and turned to look at Zach and Cammie. Her eyes immediately widened as she shrieked, "Cammie? Oh my gosh, hi!" She squealed with joy and raced to pull Cammie in a tight hug. Zach looked at the two confused, even more confused when he realized that Cammie wasn't letting go of his hand. Instead, she was squeezing it tightly.

Once Grant's girl pulled away still beaming, she looked at Zach with a smile. She extended her hand and said confidently, "I'm Macey. Macey McHenry. "

Zach looked at Cammie who looked as if she was about to explode. She was still clutching onto his arm so he extended out his free hand and shook hers.

Grant walked up to the three with tickets in hand, "I'm glad you two met. I got the tickets!" He held the four tickets up in the air and looked back at Macey, "how do you know Cammie, babe?"

"Oh, we used to go to Gallagher," She announced happily. "We were like best friends till she stopped answering my texts and stuff." She met Cammie's eyes, "why the lack of communication, Cam? I miss you. All the girls do."

Cammie smiled tightly back, "I guess I've been pretty busy."

"Too busy for your friends?" Macey gasped but it sounded so forced. She looked back at Grant and smiled, "we should get going, or the movie will start soon."

Grant placed an arm around her and led the way into the theatre. Zach looked back at Cammie, following more slowly behind. "Are you okay?"

Cammie nodded. "Yeah, I'm just… getting all these horrible flashbacks."

"She seems…." Zach started but Cammie cut him off, "don't say nice!" She frowned as he guided her into the movie theatre. He said in a low voice, "well, she does… sort of."

"I hate her," Cammie said bitterly. "Which is a first because I've never hated anyone before."

Zach couldn't reply because Grant and Macey were already seated. Zach sat down on the seat next to Grant so Cammie could be as far away from Macey as possible.

::

When the movie ended, Grant decided that they should grab something at the concession stand so Cammie and Macey could catch up. So they ended up seated at a table, sharing plates of fries and large cups of soda.

"So Cammie how is your new school?" Macey asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Zach studied her, she was like a panther. She had cat like eyes that narrowed down perfectly to show she was devious. She had thin lips that smirked whenever she had something snarky to say. Sure she was hot, Zach would admit. But she looked like a total bitch. No matter how much Zach wanted to be against stereotypes, sometimes they were true.

"Oh, it's cool." Cammie said and popped a fry in her mouth. "I miss Gallagher though," she lied and Zach could tell she was lying. Not once has Cammie mentioned missing Gallagher to Zach in the span that he's known her.

"Well, we definitely need to catch up and hang out at my pool," She smiled then looked over at Zach. "Are you two dating?"

Zach smiled at the thought of dating Cammie then cleared his throat, "Um, we're friends."

"Oh," Macey smiled. "So I guess you're over Josh, huh Cammie?"

Zach turned to Cammie, "Josh?" He sounded genuinely confused. Cammie met his raised eyebrows then looked back at Macey, clearing her throat. "You know that's long over."

"Do we really get over our first love?" She chuckled like it was a joke.

But Cammie didn't, she said, "_he wasn't my first love."_

"Well, he's dating DeeDee now." Macey shrugged, "You should have stuck around instead of letting her take him from you."

"He wasn't mine to keep."

"So girls," Grant interjected, meeting Zach's eyes. "Um, we're having a soccer game on Saturday. You two down?"

Macey nodded and kissed Grant's cheek, "sure, maybe we can bring Josh? I'm sure he'd want to bring DeeDee. Those two are so perfect together."

Cammie stared bitterly at her, "Yeah, maybe." She then turned to Zach, "We should get going." Zach didn't need to be told twice. He got up and looked at Grant and Macey, "It was nice meeting you Macey." He turned to Grant, "dude, I'll see you later."

Grant nodded, "bye guys." He said apologetically.

Zach took Cammie's hand and led her to the parking lot. She sighed once they were safely in Zach's car. "I hate her."

"I can tell," Zach chuckled, "was she worse at Gallagher?"

"Waaaay worse," Cammie rolled her eyes then looked at him. "Um, just so you know, Josh was… an ex-boyfriend. Nothing big. We dated for like two months but he…."

"You don't have to explain it to me," Zach smiled at her, raising a hand to stop her. "We all have our pasts, you know?"

She smiled at him, "are you always so perfect?"

"No," Zach said and pulled the car out of its parking spot. "But I'll tell you a secret. I try really hard when I'm around you."

Cammie stared out the window, biting her lip from smiling too much. Fuck, he was amazing.

**a/n: I updated (: and to whoever that anon was who asked if the girl was Macey: YOU ARE AMAZING, HOW DID YOU GUESS? :D okay, I have school tomorrow and I'm dreading it. but hopefully I don't leave you guys hanging again D: **

**okay, have a great day, lovelies (: leave me some of your thoughts please! **


	19. day 18

**( day 18 )**

Cammie walked into the hallway in search for Liz. It's been awhile since she's seen her in person since she's been preoccupied with all her school activities. Cammie assumed it was because she was trying to avoid Jonas as Jonas was trying to avoid her. This was seriously getting too complicated; she had no idea how to split her time between supporting Jonas and being there for Liz and hanging out with Zach. It was tiring.

When she finally spotted Liz, she walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. Liz turned around and smiled, "Hey Cammie!"

Cammie smiled, "Hey." She looked around cautiously then said in a low voice, "how are you doing?" She stared directly into Liz's eyes and saw sadness lingering in the corners of her irises. But Liz forced a smile of reassurance, "I'm doing well."

"Please don't lie to me," Cammie frowned.

"Well," Liz sighed, hugging her books to her chest, "I'm very sad. I'll give you that. But I don't want to talk about it here. Can we go talk somewhere else?"

"Sure," Cammie nodded, "today after school?"

Liz nodded, "perfect." She smiled again, but Cammie could tell something was bothering her. But she shook her head and said, "I'll talk to you later?" And with that, she took off the opposite direction. Cammie watched her leave, feeling super bad for Liz.

"Cammie!" Jonas's familiar voice distracted her thoughts. She turned around and there he was, face looking as sad as ever. He walked up to her, hands in pockets. She smiled, hoping it would get him to smile too. It didn't though.

"Hey, what's up?" Cammie asked, running a hand through her freshly washed hair.

Jonas nodded slowly, almost shyly. He stared at the bottoms of his shoe and then looked up to meet Cammie's eyes, "Well, props to me for being able to get through the week." He smiled weakly at her. Cammie frowned, holding onto the strap of her bag. "Please don't say stuff like that, things will eventually get better."

"Yeah, eventually," Jonas shrugged with a tired sigh. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after school."

Cammie looked at him, biting her lip shyly. Jonas raised an eyebrow, "unless you're busy doing something else? I mean, I don't mind if you do."

"It's not that!" Cammie insisted with a sigh. "It's just… I've promised Liz I was going to meet up with her today. Unless you want to come…?"

"No, not really," Jonas replied then ran a hand through his hair. "Um, is she doing okay?"

"Yeah," Cammie nodded slowly. "Are you still bummed?"

"Yes," Jonas answered, "but the more I distance myself from her, well, the better, you know?"

"I hope you guys start talking soon," Cammie frowned looking into Jonas's eyes. He looked so sad, almost like he lost complete hope of ever being happy. Almost like he wanted to give up. Almost like that.

::

"So how are you holding up?" Cammie asked Liz as they sat down at the local smoothie joint at their town's mall. They were each holding their cold beverages in their hands. Cammie had a vanilla milkshake with chocolate sauce and Liz had a strawberry banana smoothie. Liz took a sip of her drink through her blue straw and thought.

Cammie gave her a moment, gently drumming her slender fingers on the wooden surface. Liz sighed after awhile, "I'm fine. I just really wish he would talk to me. It's weird not having him in my life."

"Yeah, I could see that. You've known each other for so long." Cammie said back, spinning her straw around in her drink. "It must be hard to… get used to someone's presence in your life and then suddenly have them…"

"Stop talking to you all because of some stupid misunderstanding," Liz interjected.

"It's not a stupid misunderstanding," Cammie defended Jonas. "He really liked you."

"I know," Liz sighed again, "trust me, hurting him was the last thing I wanted to do. But I couldn't help that I liked Zach. I mean, why can't he just understand that?"

"Liz," Cammie said gently, "it took a lot of courage to even tell you he liked you. Give him some credit, okay?" Cammie looked down at her milkshake container so she didn't have to meet Liz's eyes.

"I know, I sound like such a bitch," Liz whispered, stirring her own drink with her straw. "But I just want him back in my life."

"Hey, he will, okay?" Cammie tried to sound optimistic but lately, she couldn't even tell what was going on in Jonas's mind. "It just may take awhile, I mean, he still feels really bad." Liz didn't say anything after that. Cammie cleared her throat, words threatening to leave her mouth. She didn't want to bring this up, but she just had to. So she blurted out, "Do you still like Zach?"

Liz looked up, her eyes shy and her teeth biting down her bottom lip. She didn't say anything at first but Cammie already knew the answer. Her eyes said it all. But after what felt like an eternity, Liz said, "yes."

And that stung more because it made it all too real.

Cammie just nodded, "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I doubt he even likes me," Liz chuckled, "I mean, his types are more of the Bex Baxters of the world, you know?"

Cammie forced herself to nod as if she even agreed.

Liz continued, "And I don't know, I don't want to hurt Jonas more than I already did. I already feel like the world's most horrible person because of this. And Jonas already saw me kissing Zach and ugh, Zach just said he liked me as a friend." She stopped talking, as she remembered Zach's words to her that night. Then she said, almost disgusted, "When did my life become such a crappy teen movie?"

Cammie had to smile.

Liz looked back at her, her eyes sad and her hair falling to her face. "I guess one of the major factors as to why I'm bummed is because Zach rejected me, Cammie. And rejecting stings like a bitch." She lightly smacked the table with a sigh of defeat.

Cammie watched her then frowned. She already felt so guilty she was going behind Liz's back and going on that date with Zach the next day. This made Cammie worried, was she the bad guy in this friendship? If she went out with Zach, she'd hurt Liz in more ways than she was already hurt.

This was getting too complicated.

"How are you doing anyway? I seriously keep talking about myself, I feel like such a bad friend," Liz's question broke Cammie's train of thoughts.

Cammie looked up at her, hoping she wasn't turning red with guilt. Give it a few more seconds and Cammie would crack and tell Liz everything that went on between her and Zach. But she smiled and balled her hand into a fist, digging her nails into her palm. The pain was a good distraction, "I'm doing okay. It's a really interesting school."

Liz laughed, "seriously?"

"Well, let's say the past couple of days have been the most entertaining days I've lived so far. Which is a plus leaving Gallagher."

::

"Hey dude, sorry about last night," Grant said and jogged up to Zach. The boys were at their usual afternoon soccer practice. The sun was high in the sky, but thankfully it wasn't hot enough to get everyone too sweaty too fast.

Zach turned to Grant, as they got into their routine runs. "What do you mean?"

"Could you not feel the tension between Cammie and Macey?" Grant raised an eyebrow at him then looked ahead of him.

They jogged in silence for awhile then Zach said, "Yeah, well, they have some bad history." Zach shrugged, feeling his heart pound heavily inside him. "Do you really think it's a good idea to have Macey at the game on Saturday?"

Grant looked at Zach, "well, it's not like I can un-invite her."

"Do you really like her?"

"I know she seems like the biggest bitch you'll meet and I mean waaay worse than Bex, but yeah, I do." Grant looked at Zach again and winked, "I like em a little feisty, you know?"

Zach chuckled, "whatever dude, just… I don't know, if she's really bringing this Josh guy and his girlfriend… I don't know if Cammie will like that."

"Damn, you deserve the boyfriend of the year award," Grant chuckled as they continued to pick up speed. Everyone was trailing behind them a little more slowly. Zach and Grant were always the fastest runners.

Zach shrugged, "I told you, Cammie is not like any other girl I've met before, okay?"

"_Waching_!" Grant made an awkward noise out of his mouth.

Zach looked at him, raising an eyebrow, "the fuck?"

"That was my impression of a whip," Grant said, "Hence, you are so whipped, my man!" He belted out a booming laugh and Zach wondered if he would fall over himself at the speed they were running.

"I'm not," Zach insisted, "I just like her."

"A lot," Grant inserted.

"A lot," Zach had to agree.

::

Cammie sat on her bed in silence. She let her thoughts take over her body as she sat in contemplation. Why did she think she could get away with liking Zach? Liz liked him! Of course this would eventually bite her in the butt, of course it would. That's just how life worked sometimes. She fell back onto her bed and sighed.

She really liked Zach. She liked his stupid face, his stupid car, his stupid smile, his stupid conversations, and his stupid lips. She especially liked his stupid lips.

She stretched out her arm to her nightstand where she grabbed her cell phone and dialed his number. She assumed he would be home, unless he was at Bex's or at Grant's. Part of her hoped he wasn't going to pick up because she honestly had no idea what to say to him.

But of course, he answered, "Gallagher Girl?"

His voice carried out like poison that shot through Cammie's body in the most beautiful way. Cammie bit her lip and scowled, why did he have such an effect on her?

Oh yeah, his stupid lips.

"Hey you," Cammie said into the phone, "tomorrow's Friday. Meaning the weekend. Meaning no school for two days. Meaning lots of free time."

"Oh no," Zach teased, "Are you having this awkward conversation with me because you're trying to tell me you don't want to go on that date tomorrow?"

Cammie's heart and mind literally stopped for a second. Then she breathed out, "of course not."

"Great, because I made reservations," Zach replied back.

"I talked to Liz today," Cammie rolled over so she was lying on her stomach. "She's still really bummed about the Jonas thing and the you thing."

"The me thing?"

"Yes, she still really likes you," Cammie said, biting her lip. She had no idea how she should feel in that moment. Jealous? Not really. Mad? Nope. Happy? Not even close.

"Well, she and I are just friends," Zach replied. "Let me guess you've been over thinking things?"

"You know me too well," Cammie smiled, hugging her pillow to herself.

"Like the back of my hand."

"Oh really now? So what am I thinking right now?"

"Well," Zach said taking a moment to contemplate the possibilities. "It's either you're freaking out because Liz still likes me and you're really sad for her because she and Jonas aren't talking. Or, you can't wait to go on that date tomorrow in hopes I'll kiss you again."

Cammie felt her face turn red. She didn't say anything at first and that only made a low chuckle come from Zach's end of the line, "So, I'm guessing it was the second one, right?'

"You are so full of it." Cammie rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Am I now?" Zach taunted.

"You are," Cammie smiled into the phone, running a hand through her hair.

"Well, I'm going to get off now. I have a crap load of homework. I'll text you later before I fall asleep, okay?" Zach said to her.

"Sure thing," Cammie said, realizing she had her own homework to do. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, wear something nice, okay?" Zach teased, "I'll text you later."

"You are frustrating!" Cammie said before they both hung up. She rolled onto her back and smiled up at the ceiling. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

**a/n: So the best thing in the world happened yesterday! We got a notice that we didn't have school for today so I was so happy because that finally gave me the time to type this long awaited chapter. I apologize for the wait, but something bad happened last week which resulted into me being sad :( Pretty lame but yeah. **

**So I'm going to spend the rest of the day reading and doing homework that's not due till next Friday (oh yeah, I'm cool). And the Hunger Games is coming out soon :D I've been waiting for this day since Mocking Jay first came out. Yay. Also, leave me your thoughts and please include how tall you are in your review. Yes, I know that's weird but please? **

**I hope you know I think you are all wonderful (: **


	20. day 19

**( day 19 )**

Cammie stared at the screen on her phone, contemplating her next motive. Should she call Liz and tell her she was going on a date with Zach that night? Should she tell Jonas she's secretly been hanging out with Zach behind his back? Or should she just tell Zach to call the whole thing off?

She bit down on her lip and lied back on her perfectly made bed. She stared up at her ceiling, not knowing what to do. She liked Zach, a whole lot. He was… different as lame and cliché as it sounded. He understood her and brought out something in her that she liked. He made her adventurous and brave, something she was always lacking.

Cammie knew going out with Zach that night would be a risk. She knew if Liz or Jonas found out, they'd both probably hate her for it. Cammie feel guilty because they've been nothing but sweet since she transferred to Roseville. This was a big deal but it seemed like nothing at all. But what's life without a little risk?

She shot up off her bed and walked over to her closet. She pulled her mahogany door opened and looked through all the nicely hung blouses and shirts and dresses. She then realized she had no idea what to wear because she had no idea where they were going. She looked at the cell phone she was holding in her hand and sent Zach a text message, _Hey, where are we going tonight? I mean, is it too lame if I were to wear a pair of jeans or should I wear a dress? Or is that too formal? I need some clue or something. Please? _

She waited till Zach sent her a reply before continuing rummaging through her clothes. He wrote back, _You'd be beautiful in anything (:_

Cammie chuckled and typed back, _Oh come on, that's not fair! What if I want to wear my nice fancy heels? Do you know how stupid I'd look if I were to wear fancy heels and we're just eating at a bowling alley?_

_Do you think that lowly of me? I know I'm not James Bond, but I like to believe I have some form of dapper taste. _

Cammie replied back quickly, leaning against the door frame to her closet, _I don't doubt your dapper taste and your advanced dating skills, but with you, I never know. _

She watched as her phone's screen lit up within seconds. _That's half the fun isn't it? _She sent back just as quickly, _so no the heels?_

He replied, _yes to the heels but don't wear something you can't run in. You never know when we might need to do some sprinting into our getaway car, you know? _

_Are you serious?_

_Am I? _

_Zach!_

Cammie started pushing aside articles of clothing so she could find the perfect dress. She already knew what she wanted to wear. As she pulled the dress out, Zach replied, _I'll pick you up in 30 minutes. Don't get too panicked over clothes, you'll be perfect in anything. _

Cammie felt her cheeks warm up but she decided not to reply to that one. One of Zach's specialties were having the last word and making the other completely speechless. Cammie hated to admit it, but the guy was good.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, she was standing in front of her full length mirror in a gorgeous navy blue number. It wrapped around her torso in elegant weaves but it fell down like torrents to her knees. She wore not too high silver strappy sandals with small rhinestones adorned on them. Her hair was freshly washed and smelled like her citrus shampoo. She decided to wear her hair down but pull back her bangs with sparkly clips that matched her heels.

"Cammie! Zach's here!" Her mother's voice came through the intercom.

Cammie breathed. Why was she suddenly nervous?

Probably because this was her first real date with Zach. Not just a casual hang out. Not just a random trip to somewhere they've never been. Not just an unexpected movie date. This was the real thing. He'd pick her up and they'd both be dressed in something nice (she really hoped she wasn't overdressed). They'd go out to dinner and it'd be real. It'd be grown up and not some impulsive teenage thing.

Cammie stared back at her reflection one more time then grabbed her purse and walked down the stairs.

::

Zach stood in the doorway of Cammie's house holding a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. He smiled and greeted her parents who opened the door for him. Mrs. Morgan quickly went to the intercom to tell Cammie and Mr. Morgan held the door open for him, not inviting him in yet. Zach smiled, already feeling nervous. But he hoped they liked him. He was dressed nicely in a black suit with a matching black tie and recently polished dress shoes. His hair was spiked up but nicely trimmed since he got a haircut a few days ago.

"Good evening Zach," Mr. Morgan said, not smiling but not sending him the "stop going after my daughter" look. He extended his arm out and gestured for him to come inside. Zach slowly did, not wanting to make too loud footsteps in fear Mr. Morgan would yell at him.

Mrs. Morgan came up next to her husband and smiled, "You look quite lovely Zach."

"Thank you," He extended out the flowers to her. "These are for you." Then he handed the bottle gently to Mr. Morgan as if a sacrifice, "And for you, sir."

They both accepted the gifts and Mrs. Morgan even beamed, "Oh how sweet."

Just then, Cammie walked into the foyer slowly, just like she did on Wednesday night. Zach and her parents turned to watch her walk down. Zach stared, mesmerized and his breath even hitched a little.

Damn, she was beautiful.

She smiled shyly and joined everyone, "Hey guys." She looked at Zach, "You clean up pretty well." She commented and raised her eyebrows at the things her parents were holding in their hands.

"You're beautiful," Zach said genuinely and met her eyes with his.

"Well you two better heading out now," Mrs. Morgan said bringing the flowers to her nose and inhaling the fresh scent. Mr. Morgan opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but Mrs. Morgan placed a hand on his arm to stop him. Instead, he nodded, "please bring her home at a reasonable time."

"I will," Zach promised finally taking his eyes off Cammie.

::

"So, where ever are we headed to?" Cammie asked once they were in Zach's car. He drove out of her circular driveway and got onto the main street down Cammie's neighborhood. He smiled at her, turning up the volume a little on the radio. "You'll see."

"I hate surprises," Cammie frowned raking her fingers down her hair.

Zach chuckled, "I'll take that in consideration next time then." They drove in silence for awhile, the only noise coming from the radio. Zach asked after the song ended, "Are you going to the game tomorrow?"

"I guess so," Cammie looked at him with a smile, "I can't wait to see you play. You know, so I can figure out if you're all talk."

"I am not," Zach insisted, glancing at her then staring straight ahead. "Are you sure you're going to go? I mean, Macey, the arch enemy will be there."

Cammie shrugged, "So? She's technically at my school."

" Ooh, your school!" Zach laughed and Cammie smacked his arm gently.

"Hey! No hitting the driver! Do you want to swerve and end up dead and bloody?" He asked making a turn on the road.

"How incredibly cryptic," Cammie commented.

"We're here!" Zach said and drove into a restaurant's parking lot. It was one of those fancy restaurants that Cammie's parents went to on anniversary dates. It was one of those fancy restaurants that had tall ceilings and carpeted floors. It was one of those restaurants that had a sparkling fountain in the front lobby. It was one of those restaurants where a plate cost more than Cammie's cell phone.

"Here?" Cammie raised an eyebrow.

"Do you not want to eat here?" Zach asked, turning off the car's ignition and looking at her.

"No, I do," Cammie nodded, "I'm just… it's really expensive here."

Zach smirked, "implying something Gallagher Girl?"

Cammie blushed, "… no, I'm not!"

"Don't worry about it okay?" Zach opened his door and quickly made it over to her side to open hers. He extended out a hand and Cammie gladly accepted it, feeling sparks fly down her stomach. They walked hand in hand into the restaurant to the receptionist who wore a heavy red lip stick smile. "Name?" She asked gently, trying not to look too confused as to why two teenagers were there. That place wasn't McDonald's after all.

"Goode," Zach answered and the receptionist scanned the list with a pen. She stopped at a name and marked something down, "Ah, yes! Please come with me." She closed her leather clipboard and led them to a circular table with a white table cloth draped over it. A small candle flickered in the middle, illuminating a gold ring around it.

The receptionist placed two menus on each side of the table and nodded, "your waiter will be with you in a moment. Have a nice evening, please." She nodded at them and walked back to her podium in the lobby.

Zach pulled out Cammie's chair for her and she sat down on the navy blue cushion. Then Zach walked over to sit on his end. Cammie took in the scene around her. The ceiling was so high that Cammie had to tilt her head all the way back to see the top. Chandeliers hung from the top but were dimmed to give the room the right mood. There was a small one-step stage in the corner where a jazz band in matching white suits played soothing music. All around them people were drinking out of crystal wine glasses and dining over exotic and fancy food.

"You look beautiful tonight," Zach said again, staring at her face that glowed from the candle's weak light. She smiled shyly, like Zach was a stranger. "Thank you."

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

She nodded, "I'm just in awe of you really, and this is great." She shrugged then smiled at him.

Just then a waiter came by with a crystal pitcher of water with lemon slices in it. There were already two glasses set in front of Cammie and Zach, so the waiter hover the pitcher over each glass and poured water in effortlessly. He then walked off with a smile and another waiter approached him, "good evening and welcome to a great night of fine dining and romantic atmosphere. I'm Walter and I'll be your waiter for the evening. What will you two have tonight?

Zach looked at the waiter and said, "Well, I'm up for a medium rare steak." He looked at Cammie, she looked at the waiter then said, "I think I'll have the roast chicken."

He nodded, scribbling something on his tiny memo pad with his fountain pen. "Of course, we'll be starting your meal with the first course. Would you like soup or salad?"

"Soup," Cammie and Zach both said at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled, they had the most ironic things in common. The waiter smiled too, "very well, there will be a fifteen minute delay between every course. But please start with some bread fresh from the chef's oven." Another man pushing a cart full of food stopped at their table and Walter picked up a bread basket and placed it down on their table. It was hot and had butter smothered artistically on each piece.

Walter smiled one more time and walked off with the man with the cart.

Cammie reached out for a piece of bread, it was hard on the exterior but when she bit in it, she discovered it had a soft interior. In a way, it was just like Zach. He was hard and tough on the outside but inside, he was a softie.

::

As the night progressed, Cammie and Zach were enjoying each other's company more and more. It was the first time since they met that the night was literally about them. Usually, they'd have to deal with the pressure of Liz and Jonas and the sadness of Bex. It's not that they minded though, they liked being there for their friends. But on nights like the one they were in, being alone was way better than anything else.

"This is like the best chicken ever," Cammie nodded after swallowing a forkful of food. Zach nodded, "this place was totally worth it."

She nodded and smiled, "but it's a little too much if you ask me."

"And no one asked you," Zach smirked at her playfully.

Cammie smiled at him, rolling her eyes in fake annoyance. She didn't think he'd believe it though; she literally could not stop smiling. "I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything," Zach said to her then took a sip of his water.

"I do," Cammie insisted and pointed to the chicken on her plate. When the waiters set the food on their table, each plate was nicely decorated that Cammie and Zach couldn't bear to destroy it. But they quickly got over it once they took their first bite. Now, Cammie's plate was a disheveled mess of chicken and lettuce and tomatoes.

"Not just for tonight but for every day since we met," She said shyly looking down at her food.

"Aw shucks, Gallagher Girl," Zach teased her but she wouldn't even believe how happy she just made him.

After a plate of incredible blueberry cheesecake, Zach and Cammie finished their dinner. Zach called to the waiter and gave him his credit card. The waiter smiled and walked off to get the bill. Zach looked at Cammie who looked back at him. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing," Zach shrugged then looked at her, "I hope you had fun tonight."

"I did."

"Great, the fun isn't over yet though!" He smiled over at her just when the waiter came back with the receipt and Zach's credit card. He signed the receipt and waiter gave him a copy. "I hope you two enjoyed your evening, please come again." He smiled and walked off.

Zach stood up just as Cammie did and extended his arm out, "Let's go."

::

They stopped at the park. It was a beautiful night and all the stars were brightly twinkling. The park was nearly abandoned with only a few people hanging around and taking walks on the long sidewalks that never seemed to end. Zach opened Cammie's door again and took her hand. She smiled as he led her down one squiggly sidewalk, his fingers loosely intertwined with hers.

"Romantic walks on beautiful nights?" Cammie smirked, "A little cliché don't you think?"

"I want tonight to be as cliché as possible for you," Zach said to her and they laughed. "I mean since you love those super lame romantic movies."

"Don't diss on my movies, please!" Cammie said back.

"Okay sorry," Zach chuckled back and swung her arm gently back and forth. They walked in silence for a moment then Cammie asked, "So what is your greatest fear?"

"That's a little random," Zach commented.

"What's life if not random?" She chuckled and said, "Well, mine is… its lame but I really hate being in crowds and pressed up against people. I'm a bit claustrophobic and I literally start wheezing. And I also fear sharks."

"Do I fear animals?" Zach wondered out loud then said, "Nah. I think I'm afraid of heights."

"That's ironic, you're so tall!" Cammie laughed and Zach chuckled, still swinging her hand. "Don't worry, we'll get you over it and we'll climb a mountain or something!"

"Well, I'm not really scared of mountains, I'm more scared of something with like an edge because then I'll like freak and want to jump off it." Zach nodded.

Cammie smiled, "you are so incredibly weird."

::

When it was finally time to say goodnight, Zach walked Cammie up to her doorstep. "I think this is a reasonable time for your dad."

Cammie laughed, "I'm sorry he's so… protective."

"It's okay, I understand." He nodded and stared at her for a moment. She stared back with a smile, "thanks for tonight and all the other nights and just being you."

"Anytime Gallagher Girl," he said and leaned forward a little, "thank you for being here for me. For letting me vent to you about things."He whispered and his lips were just about to brush hers when the front door came swinging open.

It was Cammie's dad, "Oh! I'm sorry kids! I was just looking for my, uh, reading glasses." He smiled sheepishly but didn't look the least bit sorry.

"Dad!" Cammie's eyes widened in horror, she couldn't even look at Zach's face. Zach, however, chuckled awkwardly, "Good evening Mr. Morgan, I've brought your daughter back in one piece."

"That's good to know," he nodded looking at him suspiciously. "Come on Cammie, it's pretty late." He nodded at Zach then walked back into the house, leaving the front door open for him to spy on them. She blushed and looked at him, "thanks for tonight." She whispered.

Zach nodded, "I'll text you. Good night Cammie."

"Good night," She looked into the house, pretty sure her dad was preoccupied with the television, then stood on her tip toes to kiss Zach's cheek.

**a/n: yay! I updated guys (: and this chapter was zammie-fluffed and relatively long. Thanks for all the reviews you guys leave behind, they seriously make my day! Haha, I was just curious about peoples' heights because I'm an oddball like that . I'm 5 ft though! Have been since I was in 7****th**** grade and I'm about to go into 11****th**** grade after this summer. **

**And to Alyson101, who asked about why I was sad: lol, its okay! I don't mind sharing. It's just something that went down with me and one of my guy friends and we're kinda not talking right now. Which sucks because I miss him and it's really awkward now. The conversation about great fears that Cammie and Zach had was actually a conversation he and I had! Yeah. Thanks for your concern though :)**


	21. day 20

**( day 20 )**

The sun was already high in the air and it was only nine in the morning. Zach-along with all the other soccer players-was gearing up in the locker room for their first game of the season. They were all feeling pumped and excited.

"Is your girlfriend coming to the game today, Zachy?" Grant teased as he sat down next to his best friend on a bench.

Zach looked up from the cleat that he was tying and rolled his eyes, "she's not my girlfriend. Yet." He smirked and stood up to go to his locker. He dialed in his combination and pulled the door open, grabbing his jersey. He slipped it over his head then straightened it out.

Grant looked over at his friend and laughed, "I'm assuming last night was good?"

"More than," Zach commented with a nod and closed his locker door.

"Ooh, details dude," Grant smirked, stretching his arms up.

"It was a nice night. We had dinner and then took a walk in the park," Zach shrugged as if it was no big deal. But it was. It so was.

"You were definitely on your game last night, huh?" Grant let out a low whistle then said in a low voice for just them to hear, "Did you and her… you know… do something special afterwards?" He winked.

Zach rolled his eyes, trying to remember why he was friends with Grant in the first place. "No, we didn't sleep together."

"Did you even try?" Grant asked.

Zach glared at him, "No, and I don't want to."

"Fuck man! You're so whipped it's almost embarrassing." Grant let out a laugh, slapping his thigh.

"Who's whipped?" One of the other guys asked as he passed by holding his cleats in his hand.

"Goode," Grant nodded at Zach. Zach shot him a glare and then gave him the finger. But Grant just smiled and the passing guy nodded. "Cool."

Once he was gone, Grant asked, "So you're not even going to try to get into her pants?"

"Please. Shut up." Zach said as Grant stood up. They both walked out of the locker room and onto the field. Today was going to be a good day. Small crowds of people were already situated wherever they pleased on the bleachers.

"I'm just saying that it's so not unlikely that you get in a girl's pants." Grant said, remembering Zach's track record with girls. But it wasn't that bad, it's not like Zach slept around with every girl he went on a date with. It wasn't like that. But let's just say Zach's no stranger to _those_ kind of things.

"Hey, there's Macey!" Grant raised a hand and waved over at the pretty girl sitting on the bleachers with two people Zach's never seen before. She stood up, stretching her skinny arm up and waved excitedly. Grant smiled and Zach just stood there. Macey was in a pair of denim shorts that emphasized her long legs and a gray short sleeved shirt. Even from the distance, Zach could see her glossy hair shine under the sun's natural light.

"Goode! Newman!" Their coach shouted after blowing his whistle. He waved them over from their end on the field. Zach smacked Grant's arm lightly, "Come on dude, let's go."

Grant pulled his gaze away from Macey and nodded with a devious smile, "Let's kick some ass."

::

By the time Cammie got to Zach's soccer game, they already started playing. She did not wake up early that morning. But that was only because she spent most of her night listening to sappy love songs and re-living her night with Zach in her thoughts. It was kind of crazy, but she was happy. And happy was something she wanted to be.

Cammie couldn't help but notice her sneakers dip into the wet grass. Gross. The sun was bright and burning already and no windy breezes seemed to be going by. Even more gross. But she was glad she was there for Zach. She climbed her way up the bleachers, looking for a seat. She now wished she asked Liz or Jonas to go with her but she knew she couldn't. How could she explain her sudden interesting in the boys' soccer team to them? Too complicated.

"Cammie over here!" A familiar voice pierced through Cammie's ears and she immediately froze. She looked up and there smiling at her like the Wicked Witch from the West was Macey McHenry, looking as perfect as ever.

She gestured for her to come over with her two fingers then patted the empty spot next to her. Cammie bit her lip, wishing she could pretend she didn't hear her. But it was too late. Cammie tried to force a bitter smile but then it completely burned away when she saw who was seated next to her bitchy ex-best friend. Josh and DeeDee. Just fucking great.

Macey's smile was still plastered on her face, her eyes burning through Cammie.

Cammie started to move her feet, wondering if she was going as slow as she felt she was. Her feet moved only an inch, dragging their way towards the trio. She finally made it, after what seemed like forever. Macey looked up at her and giggled, "Geez Cammie, I thought you'd never get here. Maybe it's time to work out, huh?"

Cammie bit the inside of her cheek and sat down next to her but scooted a bit away. She needed to keep a distance. She wanted to keep a distance. She stared ahead, barely acknowledging Josh and DeeDee's presence. But she could still feel Macey's hawk eyes on her. Then she felt Macey's bony elbow shove into her side. "Cam! Are you like blind?" She shrieked loudly, "Josh and DeeDee are here!"

Cammie turned around to face them. And then she was caught by Josh's gaze. It was like she was a fish being reeled in by a fisherman. She couldn't pull away, not just yet. She was allowing the hook and line to drag her across the tides. Josh stared back at her though, this intense gazing was not just one sided. His eyes couldn't leave Cammie's and there were a thousand thoughts running through both of their minds.

"Hey Cammie!" DeeDee said cheerily, snapping both Cammie and Josh out of their thoughts.

Cammie stared at the blonde girl and nodded slowly, "um… hey."

"Your school is really good at soccer," DeeDee commented, shooting a side glance onto the field. Then she extended her hand out and pointed to Zach. "Is that your boyfriend? Macey's talked a lot about the two of you." She chuckled, "It's almost like you guys are married or something."

Cammie's face instantly heated up, "Oh what?"

DeeDee repeated exactly what she said the first time, not even sounding annoyed. She just smiled perkily and Cammie wanted to wipe that happy smile off her face. She was so damn polite, it was almost nauseating.

"Um… well, yeah…" Cammie replied weakly, she had no idea what to say back. Zach really wasn't her boyfriend. It wasn't official or anything. But if she declined DeeDee's accusation then that'd seem fishy to the trio in front of her. Besides, she wanted to be Zach's girlfriend. Probably more than she'd admit out loud. As Cammie said this, she tried hard not to meet Josh's eyes. It's not that she still cared about him. Or she did. She probably always will. How can you just stop caring about someone who used to mean so much? Cammie never understood how some people could do that.

"We should go for pizza after this!" Macey clapped enthusiastically.

Cammie looked at her, surprised. Where was all her energy coming from? If Cammie's memory served her correctly, Macey hated waking up early on Saturdays to watch any kind of sport games. Macey hated being near public schools, and especially hated pizza or anything that greasy.

"Sounds good!" DeeDee chirped happily, taking Josh's hand.

Cammie nodded, not trusting her mouth to speak. She turned to face forward and noticed Zach running down the field with the ball, a group of guys tailing him. Cammie was impressed as he kicked the ball letting it glide through the grass and into the opponent's net. Everyone on their bleachers stood up and cheered. Cammie beamed, feeling so proud of Zach.

::

After the game was finally over, all the fans rushed down the bleachers to congratulate the winning team. Cammie remained seated, watching as the soccer team all shouted with joy and exchanged the highest of fives. Macey tapped Cammie on the shoulder, a smile playing on her lips. "They did great, huh?"

Cammie nodded, "yeah. So Macey, are you and Grant serious?"

Macey stared at her as if that was the funniest thing anyone could say. She shrugged, "Well, he's cute. But I don't know if serious is the right word right now. It's nothing like you and Zach though." She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Cammie could feel her face heating up and hoped it wasn't turning red. Macey always made her so nervous about herself. Cammie just stared at her, shrugging a little. Macey turned to DeeDee and Josh, her hair swaying in the wind.

Just then, Zach raced up the bleachers even skipping a few steps. Cammie assumed he was used to it from all the soccer practices he had to attend. He waved at Cammie, slowing his pace, and then stopping right in front of where she was sitting. "Hey Gallagher Girl! Happy Saturday." He grinned down at her then looked over at Macey and Josh and DeeDee. "I'm really glad you guys could come."

Macey smiled, "Of course! We wouldn't have missed it for the world!" She nodded happily, searching the field for Grant. DeeDee nodded after her looking enthusiastic but Josh looked the opposite.

Zach nodded, extending a hand out, "I'm Zach."

DeeDee took his hand into hers and smiled, "Hey! I'm DeeDee! And this is my boyfriend, Josh!" She glazed her eyes over at Josh then smiled back at Zach. DeeDee was a sweet girl, so sweet that she could give anyone diabetes from her prize winning smile.

"Wassup guys?" Grant's voice said as he came up to their circle, slinging a hand on Macey's shoulders. She smiled at him, but Cammie could tell she flinched at the feel of his sticky with sweat arm on her nice blouse. Macey said to him, "We should all go out for pizza to celebrate your victory!"

Cammie forced a smile; this was going to be a long day.

::

Once they were inside and seated at a pizzeria down the street from school, they all began asking each other questions back and forth. Grant told lots of stories about Zach on the field and Macey talked a lot about Gallagher. That included embarrassing stories of Cammie during freshmen year that made her face turn red. Zach just chuckled and thought she was adorable. But Cammie knew from his smirk that he was going to use it for mocking points.

Josh seemed rather distant, keeping quiet and only ever talking when DeeDee said something to try and include him in the conversation. Other than that, he was silent. Cammie didn't mind though because she honestly had no idea how to handle with both Josh and Zach at the same table.

Zach looked over at her and smiled then said in a low voice, "do you want to do something later?" Cammie turned to him with a smile and nodded slowly.

DeeDee spoke up just then, "so when's the next game, Zach?"

Zach turned to her and said, "Oh two weeks from now."

"We should totally go!" Macey said with a bright smile and batted her long lashes over at Grant. Grant smiled at her as he took another monstrous bite into his pizza.

DeeDee nodded then Josh looked over at Zach, "how long have you been playing?"

Zach looked at him surprised he was talking to him. Everyone was surprised since Josh hadn't said much to anyone except DeeDee since they got there. Zach replied quickly, "a few years."

Josh nodded, looking not impressed or interested. He then glanced over at Cammie and she stared back, feeling her heart thumping hard. For some reason, Josh talking to Zach was very nerve wracking.

Macey smiled deviously, reminding Cammie of a cat ready to catch a mouse. "It looks like Josh has some competition." She winked over at Zach who looked over at Cammie.

Cammie just stared at him then turned back to Macey, restraining the urge to kill her. Macey just smiled innocently and looked over at Grant. Josh just stared back at Cammie who kept her eyes down. Zach looked at Josh and asked, "So how long have you two known each other?" His voice sounded different, it still sounded friendly but there was a hint of competition lingering with each word.

Josh responded quickly, "since freshmen year. We were in the same World Cultures class."

"That's cool," Zach replied with a careless shrug. He looked over at Cammie; he didn't look angry or upset. He looked jealous and Cammie had to admit it was adorable.

"So how are you doing now, Cam?" Josh asked. "Do you still draw?"

"You draw?" Zach looked over at her with surprised eyebrows. Zach didn't know Cammie drew, and he liked to think he knew a lot about her. Apparently he didn't though.

Josh smirked like it was funny Zach didn't know that small detail about her. But he tried to cover it up with an innocent smile, "Yeah, she used to always draw. She'd draw in her notebooks, on her arms, on napkins at restaurants… everywhere."

Cammie shrugged, "Oh that was just a hobby I guess. I don't draw much anymore."

"Bummer, you were really good," Josh said like he was just talking to her and no one else was around.

"Not really," Cammie shrugged.

"I didn't know you drew," Zach said to her, meeting her eyes. She looked back at him, "It's not like I was a pro or anything, and they were really just doodles."

Josh just smiled triumphantly like he won some award or something. DeeDee stared at him, shock plastered on her face. Could Josh be any more obvious? His girlfriend was right there next to him!

Macey raised an eyebrow and smirked, "We should all hang out again!"

"We have a victory party tomorrow," Grant nodded, "One of the guys' parents wanted to host one."

Macey smiled, "Sounds like fun!"

**a/n: um wow guys, I am so sorry for leaving you hanging for more than a month! And no, it's not a sign I was giving up on this story. I'm very determined to finish it! I guess some weeks I was just busy. Other weeks… I guess I was really lazy and didn't have the time. This chapter has been typed but incomplete since March and I only found the time to finish it today. But yeah, I'm still finishing this story and I'll also finish My Escape (which ends in like, 6 chapters or something). **

**I'm watching The Avengers for my birthday :D I'm excited! Again, I'm really sorry for the mini-hiatus D: So how is everyone doing? I hope you're all doing well (: **


	22. day 21

**( day 21 )**

There were five things Zach knew for sure about Bex. One was that _yes_ that was her natural hair color. Two, she had an awkward relationship with her parents. Three, she was probably the biggest brat on the planet. Four, she loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt films. And five, the last thing Zach knew for sure about Bex was that seeing her cry was the hardest thing in the world.

It was gloomy Sunday morning out on the Roseville cemetery as Bex's grandmother's casket was lowering itself into the ground slowly. Zach could feel tears welling up in the corners of his eye. He wasn't that close to Bex's grandmother, if anything, he's never really known her. But there was something about being in a crowd of people who did that made him realize what an amazing person she was. Family members all over the country came that day, sharing stories about what a beautiful woman she was. About how strong and funny she could be. Zach suddenly realized why Bex loved her so much.

It wasn't raining but storm clouds were above, blocking out any form of sunlight. The air was thick, cool breezes blowing by the parade of people in black. Zach and Grant were off to the end of the crowd, not wanting to interfere with the immediate family.

Bex was off in the cluster, standing right in front of the grave, crying into her mother's shoulder while her mother looked like she didn't really know what to do. The casket lowered until it was at least six feet under. People took turns throwing flowers in, bidding their last farewells. Bex held her flower tightly in her hand, not wanting to drop it in.

More tears stream down more faces and Zach found it was getting harder to watch. Grant, who was by his side, was even sniffling and blinking away a few tears. Zach kept his eyes on Bex though, wanting to be there for his friend.

A little while later, groups of people all took turns hugging Bex's family and whispering words of encouragement. Grant looked at Zach, "Should we go up to her…?"

Zach shrugged, "let's wait awhile?"

Grant nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. He looked down at the ground and absent mindedly kicked small pebbles off the ground. Zach looked over to where Bex stood, wrapped in the arms of a cousin or something or other. They locked eyes for a second and Zach tried to smile, only finding how hard it really was.

Bex was released from the embrace and made her way over to Zach who opened his arms wide enough for her to bury herself in. She sobbed, tears streaming violently down her face. Zach tried to soothe her, stroking her hair out of her face, and telling her it would be okay. And come on, one day, it would be okay. Just not today.

Bex pulled away, eyes puffy with her makeup stained cheeks, "Tonight's the team's victory party right?" She asked, biting her lip reluctantly.

"Yeah, it is," Zach nodded. He was all set on bailing on it, prepared to do anything Bex wanted to do. Sure, he was going to miss an opportunity to flirt it up with Cammie and celebrate his much deserved victory. But there were some things that were more important.

"We should go," Bex insisted, tugging at the collar of Zach's suit. He turned to Grant, who shrugged, unsure of how to respond. Zach turned back to Bex, the flower still in her hand as she grasped his neatly ironed dress shirt. He tore her hands away and asked, "Are you sure? We can do something else."

Bex shook her head, "I really don't want to be in my house right now."

Zach nodded as if he understood.

::

It was your typical high school party, teenagers dancing off with Red Solo cups in hand and loud music blaring throughout the house. Bex dropped Zach's hand from her grasp and fluffed her hair. A few freshmen girls waved at her and she happily returned it. Zach stared at her, amazed at how easily she could hide her emotions.

Grant, who was walking alongside Zach, nudged him, "is it a really good idea bringing Bex here?" He shouted over the music.

Zach turned to him, "why do you ask that?"

The three pushed themselves through the crowds, smiling faces greeting them. Bex was more into greeting people than Zach and Grant were, getting lost in hugs and casual small talk. Grant looked at Zach and shrugged, grabbing a drink off a table. "I don't know, you tell me." He nodded towards Bex than looked over his shoulder. Zach followed his gaze and found Cammie standing next to Macey looking less than pleased.

"Fuck," Zach muttered, grabbing a plastic cup and pouring a drink into it. He gulped it down quickly then pouring in another drink.

"Whoa slow down," Grant commented with a smirk, taking another careful sip of his own drink.

"Need a distraction," Zach shrugged.

"It looks like Goode is in for a looooong night," Grant commented, high-fiving a person passing by. Zach didn't meet his eyes as he took another fast gulp, emptying out the cup. Zach's eyes stayed on Cammie and as if she could feel his stare, she turned to him. A smile formed on her face as she waved. Zach lifted a hand and waved weakly back.

"Let's go say hi!" Grant placed an arm around Zach's neck and yanked him to where Macey and Cammie were standing. Zach's eyes widened as he tried to take a drink from his cup, only to find it was empty. Just fucking great.

::

Cammie tried to focus on what Macey was saying but it was really hard, considering she didn't really care and all Macey ever seemed to talk about was herself. Her eyes were searching for Zach's for the longest time and when she finally saw the familiar pair of emerald eyes, her night just got a little better.

It was bad enough that she even agreed to get ready for the party with Macey. But spending time at the actual party was horrible. It was even worse that DeeDee and Josh were probably somewhere making out. Cammie didn't care. Josh could kiss anyone he wanted but she hated the idea of being alone with Macey McHenry.

"Hey gorgeous," Grant greeted, pecking Macey on the cheek. She smiled, wrapping her slender arm around Grant's firm waist. Zach stood by Grant and nodded at Macey, "Hey Macey."

"Hi Zach," She raised her eyebrows at Cammie then turned to Zach.

Cammie stared shyly at Zach, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She wasn't entirely sure why, this wasn't her first house party and it wasn't her first house party with Zach either. But for some reason, she felt like Zach was acting a little off.

"Hey Gallagher Girl," Zach smiled at her then turning down to look at his cup. He tapped his index finger along the empty plastic saying nothing else.

"Zach!" Bex Baxter's familiar voice rang in the air. She sauntered over in a black skirt that hugged her waist in all the right places and a glittery silver top. She looked perfect as usual. It shocked Cammie she could even look that happy when her dead grandmother was buried only a few hours earlier.

Bex linked her arm through Zach's a cup in the other hand. "There you are!" She smiled happily then looked over at Cammie and Macey. "Oh, who's this?" She asked eyes on Macey.

Macey smiled, not even phased by how confident Bex was coming off as. "Macey McHenry, I'm a friend of Grant's."

"I didn't know you were seeing anyone else," She turned to Grant with an eyebrow raised.

Grant shrugged, "Yeah well… things have been happening."

"Huh," Bex smiled slyly, remind Cammie of why exactly girls were afraid of her. "I guess it has been awhile. What else am I missing? Are you now married Zach?"

Grant let out a howl of laughter and Zach awkwardly met Cammie's eyes. "Er… what?"

Bex chuckled, "Oh well, I'm sure that couldn't happen, it's not really your style. Serious relationships I mean."

Zach let out a nervous laugh, "how drunk are you?"

"Not that drunk, babe." She shrugged and smirked at Cammie. Cammie was taken aback, not really knowing what to do.

"Wow, okay," Grant said feeling the obvious raise of tension. "Why don't we go play Truth or Dare or something?"

Bex nodded, "I'm in! What about you Zach?" She met Zach's eyes. Zach looked at her then looked over at Cammie who looked a mix of hurt and confusion.

"Come on guys!" Grant smirked at Zach. Zach wanted to strangle him at that point. Playing Truth or Dare with Bex and Cammie in the same circle was not a good idea. It'd be awkward and uncomfortable and messy.

But before Zach or Cammie could refuse, Bex was already tugging at Zach's arm. "Come on! Sit next to me!"

::

They sat in a tight circle, just Grant, Macey, Zach, Bex, Cammie, and they even managed to find DeeDee and Josh. An empty beer bottle sat in the middle of the circle spinning quickly as Grant turned the bottle. It landed on Bex who smiled and said bravely, "dare."

Grant chuckled, "I dare you to kiss Andy Clark over there." He pointed at one of the popular boys in the senior class. Bex turned to Grant and shrugged as if it was no big deal. She turned to Zach and smirked, "don't get too jealous."

Zach didn't respond, instead he chugged his drink. Bex unfolded her criss-crossed legs and made her way to where Andy stood with a couple of the soccer players. They watched as she twirled her hair and flipped it over her shoulder. Andy was smiling too, looking her up and down. Within a matter of moments, Bex was leaning forward and locking her lips with Andy.

"Wow," Macey said, obviously impressed. She turned to Cammie who remained quiet for the most part. She watched as Zach stared at Cammie and mouthed the words '_I'm sorry'. _Cammie shrugged, not meeting his eyes for too long.

Trouble in paradise.

Bex came back and smiled proudly, turning the bottle. It spun in repeated circles, each circle making Cammie more and more nervous. She did not like playing games like these with girls like Bex. It was too nerve racking. Luckily, it landed on DeeDee. "Uh truth…?" She asked, eyes frozen on Bex's. Bex smiled mischievously. "So you're dating Josh right? Cammie's ex-boyfriend? Have you slept with him?"

Cammie's eyes widened at the question. She turned to look at Josh who turned a light shade of red. DeeDee looked nervous, twirling at her bouncy blonde hair. Grant let out another drunken laugh as Bex smirked. "Bex…." Zach's voice came warningly but Bex ignored him.

"Oh come on, we're all friends here," Bex said, taking a sip of beer from her cup. "I'm sure we won't remember it in the morning if we drink enough alcohol."

DeeDee coughed and mumbled something no one could catch. Not even Cammie and she was probably the most sober.

"What was that?" Macey asked, leaning against Grant. They both swayed and giggled, already tipsy from their drinks.

"Yeah we did," DeeDee answered, face turning red.

"Ohh!" Grant wolf whistled and slapped his thigh happily. "Nice nice."

Macey giggled, "I'm so happy for you Dee!" She lifted her drink in the air, toasting to no one. DeeDee coughed awkwardly looking at Josh who was looking at Cammie. Cammie met his eyes, genuinely surprised with the news she was hearing. She could feel Zach staring at her too, wanting to get a reaction out of her. He was still so bothered by Josh.

DeeDee spun the bottle next rather weak. It rotated about three times before landing on Zach who looked at DeeDee, eyebrows expectant. "Dare." Zach never backed down from a challenge.

DeeDee bit her lip, not really sure what she was going to say. Macey chuckled, "Why don't we dare him to kiss Cam?"

"Okay, I dare you to kiss Cammie!" DeeDee said looking at Zach.

Zach made a stupid move. A really stupid move. Bex, who was already hurting and broken, was sitting next to him. And Cammie, who was probably super pissed at him, was staring at him from across the circle. He should've thought his next plan out. He shouldn't have drunk so much. But all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss Cammie.

So he did.

With no hesitation.

Their lips met and as usual, sparks flew and fire caught. It was a feeling Zach would never get tired of. Even in his current state of mind, he could feel every amount of euphoria settling inside him as he kissed Cammie. It was perfect. He wanted to freeze time and stay like that forever, but he couldn't.

When he pulled away, Cammie's blue eyes were staring into his and he could feel a smile on his face. He could also feel Bex's body shift beside him and he turned to watch her storm off.

Zach watched her walk off, meeting Grant's eyes who looked worried. Zach looked at Cammie, "I … uh, I gotta go." He stood up and chased after her.

He pushed through crowds of people, eyes searching for her. He'll admit he was scared. Bex was capable of a lot of crazy stuff when she was upset. And Zach knew her well enough to know how upset she was right now.

Luckily, he found her walking down the gravel driveway of the house they were in. Zach jumped the three steps, catching his balance before he could fall on his face. He chased after her, stopping her with a hand on her wrist. She turned around and glared at him, "how long?"

"How long what?" Zach asked, scared of what her question was.

"How long have you been seeing her?" She glared at him, tears already threatening to fall.

Zach sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We don't have to talk about it right now."

"I _want_ to talk about it." Bex grumbled through angry teeth. She yanked her arm free from his grasp and repeated, "how long Zach?"

"It's nothing official," Zach answered her.

"Bull," Bex shook her head, already doubting him.

"We're dating… we're nothing official." Zach said trying to convince her. It sounded false in his ears, almost like it was wrong to consider what he and Cammie had (whatever that may be) unofficial. It was more than unofficial in some ways.

"I didn't even know you wanted to see anyone else," Bex said, her voice hollow.

"Bex," Zach sighed, "What does this matter? You and I aren't together."

And that's when realization hit, that's when Bex realized he was absolutely right. She and Zach were nothing official. They were just… whatever they were. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. As much as she wished she had some claim on Zach, she didn't.

She met his eyes, shock and anger already painting her emotions. "Right… you're right." She whispered and took a few steps back slowly.

Zach wanted to kick himself. Was he that much of an idiot? He tried to reach out for her, "Bex… I'm sorry…"

She shook her head, "Forget it. It's true. You and I aren't together."

**a/n: wow okay, I know, I suck. I'm really sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. But I just wanted to thank all the readers of this story, old and new. You guys are seriously my favorite people ever. **

**I hope you guys all had/are having a great summer (: **


	23. day 22

**( day 22 )**

Cammie was not ready to go to school the next day. She lazily got out of bed, throwing the covers off her body and dragging a hand through her messy morning hair. She walked over to her closet, pulling out a comfy zip up hoodie and a tank top to match. She quickly got dressed, adjusting the clothes on her body then made her way to her mirror.

Zach hadn't called her that night.

He ran off somewhere with Bex after their kiss and never came back. Cammie didn't want to assume the worst but she couldn't help it. Where had Zach gone off to? And why was he acting weird all night?

She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it. She guessed that if Zach wanted to tell her what was wrong, he would. That's how they worked right?

She ran a brush through her hair then grabbed her book bag. She stared at herself in the mirror not exactly impressed with how she looked. But today she realized she didn't care. She walked out her room and to the kitchen where her parents were having breakfast and watching the morning news.

"Morning," Cammie greeted them as she opened the door of their refrigerator. She grabbed a cup of yogurt and a spoon from a drawer. Her parents immediately stopped talking and her mother asked, "What time did you get in last night?"

Cammie, who was peeling off the aluminum on her yogurt cup, looked up. "Huh? Oh I don't know, before midnight?"

"That's pretty late for a school night," her mother raised her eyebrows.

Cammie shrugged, not really sure how to respond.

"Were you with Zach?" She asked and Cammie could literally feel her face tense up. Her father was looking at her too. Cammie stirred around the yogurt in her cup and said, "Well, he was there but we didn't go together or anything. I didn't even know he was going."

"Well, I do like him," Cammie's father said, folding his newspaper back. "I think he's quite charming."

Cammie stared at him, surprised, "Uh… thanks dad."

::

When Cammie got to school that morning, she walked over to her locker where Liz was waiting. Liz looked pretty, her hair in a low messy bun. Her arms were folded across her chest as she met Cammie's eyes. Cammie smiled but immediately stopped when she realized Liz looked like she wanted to kill her.

"Hey…?" Cammie said shyly, carefully spinning the dial on her locker.

"Did you have fun last night?" Liz asked, holding her phone out and showing Cammie a picture of the party she attended.

Busted.

Cammie turned bright red, "Uh… yeah. I would've invited you, but I went with a friend from Gallagher…" Cammie let her voice trail off, not really knowing what she was supposed to say.

"Why didn't you tell me that you and Zach were dating?" Liz asked, hurt obvious in her voice. She stuffed her phone into the back of her pocket.

"We're not," Cammie answered.

"Don't lie about it!" Liz shook her head then frowned, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Cammie bit her lip. "I… I just…" She let her voice die down, not really knowing what to say. Liz didn't even give her a chance to explain, "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"Liz, I knew you liked him…" Cammie replied, nervously tugging at the bottom of her shirt. "I knew if you found out about Zach and I."

"So there is a Zach and you?" Liz asked bitterly, narrowing her eyes sharply. "How long have you been lying about this?"

"We aren't together okay?" Cammie answered voice low and full of shame. "But if you're wondering, I do like him. A lot."

Liz stared at her for a moment, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She shook her head, almost disappointed. "I can't believe it." She held onto the strap of her bag tightly and stormed off. Cammie turned to watch her go, "Liz!"

She wanted to stop her and apologize. She couldn't imagine what Liz was feeling. A part of Cammie knew she was being selfish. Selfish because she didn't want to break things off with Zach. She really liked him. But Liz did as well. Liz and Cammie were friends. Or were. Cammie wasn't so sure anymore.

Gosh things were complicated.

::

Zach walked down the halls looking out for Bex. She was pissed at him. Super pissed. But it wasn't just that either, she was also really hurt. Zach didn't blame her. But at the same time, how could stop himself for feelings things for Cammie?

Zach finally spotted Bex by her locker, applying a fresh coat of lip gloss in front of her tiny hanging mirror. Zach carefully walked up to her, tapping her shoulder lightly. She stopped what she was doing and screwed in her lip gloss tube. She turned to Zach and raised an eyebrow, "Hey."

"Hi." Zach replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Bex shrugged, looking down at her shoes then back to Zach. "Listen, I'm really sorry about last night."

Zach shook his head, cutting her off. "No, it's fine. I get why you were angry at me and I'm sorry. I was a douche. You were upset and I'm sorry about what I said."

"But it's true," Bex said defiantly. "You and I aren't together and I had no right to say anything or do anything or even storm off like I did."

"Don't say that," Zach shook his head, "You can feel however you want to feel. And you should never worry about saying something wrong with me. You're one of my best friends."

Bex smiled at that, "I really missed you, you know? This past week… This past month has been hell and I really miss you. And Grant. And hanging out like we used to."

"I do too," Zach nodded. Bex took a step forward, wrapping her arms around Zach's torso, she buried her head into his neck and he took in her familiar scent. She sighed, "I want to tell you something but it'll make me sound selfish." She pulled away and met his eyes.

"What is it?"

"I… I don't want you to be with her," Bex whispered, embarrassed t be even saying it. "I know, I know, I'm not what you want. I've figured that out. But I can't stand you being with her. I'm sorry if that makes me sound like a bitch."

Zach blinked at her; he honestly had no idea what to say. He scratched the back of his neck and frowned, "Bex… I can't… You can't ask me to do that." Because he knew exactly what Bex was asking for. And that was for Zach to stop seeing Cammie.

She bit her lip, "I know and I hate myself for even bringing it up."

"Why don't you like her?" Zach wanted to know, "If you talked to her, got to know her, I'm sure you would like her."

"I would never like her," Bex shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because she's someone you could fall in love with."

::

Liz hated Cammie.

She could lie and say she didn't, but with the way she avoided Cammie's eyes in the hallway told another story. Cammie sighed as she closed her locker door. She checked her phone and saw there were no messages from Zach.

Was he avoiding her?

He wouldn't be the first person today.

"Cammie!" Jonas walked up to her, "hey!"

"Hi," Cammie said with a relieved smile. She was glad Jonas wasn't avoiding her. She stuffed her phone in the side pocket of her leather bag and asked, "What's up?"

Jonas shrugged, "Nothing much. What about you?"

"Jonas, I need to tell you something." Cammie said, feeling her insides twist. She knew Jonas wasn't going to be pleased with her news. But she couldn't risk him finding out from someone else. That would only make matters worse and she honestly didn't want to deal with all of that. So she sucked in her pride, along with her breath and said, "Liz hates me."

"What? Why?" Jonas asked, confused.

"Because… I like Zach, Jonas," Cammie said not meeting Jonas's gaze. "He and I have been hanging out these past few weeks and I really like him."

Jonas stood there, frozen for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair looking around the hallway. He wasn't sure if what he heard was correct. Zach and Cammie? Zachary Goode? Why?

Cammie waited patiently for what he had to say. Luckily, Jonas didn't make her wait any longer. "Oh."

"Is that it?" Cammie asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Good for you," Jonas tried to smile for Cammie's sake. But Cammie could tell he was uncomfortable with the idea. Cammie leaned against the row of lockers and folded her arms across her chest. "I know, it's stupid."

"No," Jonas shook his head. "I'm just… surprised."

"Why?"

"He doesn't really seem like your type?"

"He's my type?"

"Jerk is your type?"

"He's not a jerk," Cammie rolled her eyes. Jonas held up his hands and took a step back, as if surrendering. Cammie sighed, "He isn't." She insisted.

Jonas shrugged, " Okay, I might not know him like you do. So I'll give you credit." He chuckled and Cammie was grateful he was even in the mood to joke around with her. Jonas then said, "Is that why Liz is mad at you?"

Cammie nodded, "What do I do?"

"Do you really like him?" Jonas asked, his voice showing some sort of compassion. Cammie had to give him credit; she knew how much Jonas hated Zach under the circumstances. It was amazing that he was putting up with him for Cammie's benefit. He was a really great friend.

"I do," Cammie sighed, "But so does Liz. And Liz has been nothing but sweet to me, I don't want to hurt her."

"But you'll hurt yourself more." Jonas pointed out.

"Well, yeah…" Cammie shrugged, "But I have no other plan. I do like Zach, but I can't stand Liz hating me. You should have seen her Jonas, she was so upset."

Cammie stopped talking as she stared at Jonas. Only then she realized that the same thing happening to Liz has happened to Jonas. And of course, it revolved around the infamous Zach Goode. Cammie continued, "I know you're probably glad something bad is happening to Liz."

"What?" Jonas widened his eyes, "of course not! I mean, I'll admit, things went horribly wrong with her. But that doesn't mean I want the worst for her."

"Maybe this is a sign, you know?" Cammie sighed, absolutely exhausted about thinking of ways to make this situation better. "Maybe Zach and I aren't meant to happen."

"Oh come on, you don't believe that," Jonas said then asked, "Do you?"

::

"What do I do?" Zach asked once he recapped all the events that happened that morning. Grant looked at him and frowned, "Well, that's absolutely fucked up." The two were walking down a crowded hallway trying to get to the cafeteria.

"She can't tell you to stop seeing Cammie," Grant continued, "And Bex knows that."

"I'm not going to stop seeing Cammie," Zach said but his voice sounded unsure. He wanted to believe what Bex said didn't bother him. But it did. As much as he liked being with Cammie, he would still consider Bex's feelings.

"Good, cause I really like you and Cammie," Grant said slowly. "You two are… are really good together." He punched Zach's arm and the two shared a laugh. Zach clapped a hand on his shoulder, "Thanks man."

Before they entered the cafeteria doors, Zach noticed Cammie waiting for someone. They locked eyes and she gestured for him to step aside. Zach looked at Grant and said, "Uh dude, I'll catch up with you later?"

Grant looked at him then looked over to Cammie. He nodded, "Sure, I'll see you." He walked passed Cammie and smiled. She returned it but her eyes went immediately back to Zach's. The two walked off down an empty hallway. Cammie said in a low voice, "Can we talk in private?"

Zach looked at her and reached out to grab her arm. Cammie flinched and Zach knew something was wrong. But he didn't let go, he led her into one of the janitor's closets and closed the door behind them. Darkness surrounded the two but Zach reached out for a small chain that switched on the light bulb above them. It was a weak light bulb so shadows casted over both Zach and Cammie's faces.

"What's wrong?" Zach asked, worried.

"Liz found out about the party and kept questioning us," Cammie said. "She hates me and I don't blame her."

"Oh…" Zach answered, not really knowing what to say. But he wanted to tell the truth, "Bex doesn't want me to see you anymore." He blurted out suddenly, catching himself off guard.

"Oh…" Cammie echoed Zach's previous answer.

"But I didn't—"

Cammie cut him off, "I think it'd be best if we took a break for awhile." She said quickly, her voice shaking with each syllable.

"What?" Zach asked, surprised. "Why?"

"It's too complicated right now," Cammie shrugged, already feeling her heart pound against her ribcage. She couldn't stand to meet Zach's face, knowing it'd be written with sadness and confusion.

Zach studied her for a moment, even in the horrible lighting, she was stunning. Her beauty always seemed to take his breath away. He'd like to think he knew her well enough to know whether or not she was lying. But at that moment, in the crowded janitor's closet under the flickering light bulb, he couldn't tell.

"Is that what you really want?" Zach asked, terrified of what she was going to say back.

_No, of course not_, Cammie wanted to say. But she couldn't. She couldn't betray herself like that. Everything was so confusing and complicated. It wasn't just Zach and Cammie's feelings that mattered anymore. It was Zach and Cammie's plus Bex's and Liz's. It was a lot of burden and the last thing Cammie wanted were broken hearts and broken friendships.

So she said, "It's what I want."

It sounded like a lie even in her ears. Of course she didn't want that. She always wanted to be around Zach. To be intoxicated with his voice and his eyes. She wanted to wrap herself around his stories and his favorite jokes. She wanted it all. But she couldn't have it all.

Zach just nodded, walking out the room without another word.

**a/n: I start school in less than two weeks and I am not at all excited :( Also, this story has a little over 10 chapters till it is complete and I wonder if I can finish before the summer is over. Probably not, but a girl can dream right? **

**Anyway, leave me some feedback and have a lovely day, beautiful! **


	24. day 23

**( day 23 )**

Cammie hated the situation she was currently in. She hated it so much. She wanted to find Zach and apologize for everything she said and that she took it back. But she couldn't do that to Liz. Liz was her friend and right now she was hurting. And it was Cammie's fault.

Cammie carefully packed her messenger bag and closed her locker shut. Ever since yesterday, she and Zach weren't talking. They didn't talk in person or chat online or even text goodnight. It sucked. Cammie sighed, dreadfully making her way to her first period. Which so happens to be her class with Zach and Bex. Just great.

Cammie turned the door handle slowly, pushing it, and entering the class as quietly as possible. Cammie stared down at the floor, walking to the first empty chair she found. She did not want to meet Zach's eyes. She couldn't bear to see him and not be able to talk to him.

But she could feel his presence in the room though. She could feel his eyes burning holes into her back. But she resisted the urge to turn around. She looked down at her bag that was on her desk and pulled out a notebook.

She opened her notebook to the first page and pulled out a pink pen. She began scribbling nonsense and doodles onto her paper, trying to take her mind off things. It was hard though. It had only been a day but she missed Zach. She missed him so much it was ridiculous.

::

Zach hated that Cammie was ignoring him.

He watched her from the back of the class, admiring the way her hair flowed down her back. He opened his text book, trying to get the next chapter work done. But he couldn't focus. He looked back up to Cammie's direction then turned away when Bex walked up to him.

"Hey you!" She smiled and took the empty seat next to Zach. Zach pulled his gaze away from Cammie and smiled back at Bex, "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much," Bex shrugged, pulling out her phone from her pocket. Her fingers danced on the key pad. Zach tore his eyes away from her then stared back at Cammie.

"Hey yo!" Grant said with a smile, walking up to them. He plopped down on his desk in front of Zach and glanced to where Cammie was sitting by himself. He turned to Zach with a raise of an eyebrow. "Uh… dude?"

Zach shook his head silencing him.

Grant stayed quiet then faced forward. He stood up, putting on his bag. He turned to Zach and Bex, "Uh… I'll be joining Cammie today, kay? Okay." With that he walked off, taking the seat next to Cammie. It took everything Zach had in him not to kill Grant.

Did he not know how lucky he was that he got to sit next to Cammie freely and not him?

Pretty fucking lucky.

Zach and Bex exchanged a look and Bex asked, "Are you going to leave me too?" She said it almost teasingly, but Zach knew there was a part of Bex that was worried. Zach looked at her and shook his head, "of course not."

Bex smiled.

::

Cammie was still scribbling when Grant came up to her. He dropped his backpack on the floor next to Cammie's. He smiled, "Hey Morgan!"

Cammie stared at him, curious as to why Grant Newman was sitting with her. They've interacted before. They've had at least over five encounters. But for some reason, she was never that comfortable with him.

"Hey…" Cammie said carefully raising a skeptical eyebrow. She stared down at her notebook, not meeting Grant's eyes.

"So I heard you and Zach broke up," Grant said abruptly. Cammie stared at him, surprised. Grant met her eyes with an expectant look.

"Oh…" Cammie said, tugging at the ends of her hair, "well, he and I aren't really together. So it doesn't really count. Not really."

Grant shrugged, "Well, you counted for him, I know that."

Cammie couldn't help the blush that crept on her pale cheeks. "Oh…" She said in a low voice, "He counted for me too."

"Listen," Grant said in a low voice, leaning into her. He was incredibly close that Cammie had to lean farther back. "I know you and Zach really like each other. And I think when two people like each other as much as you do. You should be together."

"It's not that easy Grant," Cammie said in a low voice, wondering where Mr. Solomon was. Class was going to start any minute and he still hadn't showed up. Also, she didn't want to be having this conversation with Grant. She already knew what a mistake she made. She already missed Zach. She didn't need anyone telling her what she already knew.

"Why?" Grant asked.

"Because… because of Liz and Bex and me and Zach," Cammie shook her head, "It's a little more complicated than just being together."

"It doesn't have to be," Grant pointed out.

Before Cammie could argue, Mr. Solomon walked in with a smile, "Okay, okay, sorry I am late. But we can't waste any more time. Everyone bust out those text books and we'll get to reading, alright?"

Cammie looked back at her book then turned to the assigned page number.

::

Zach wasn't jealous.

Why would he be jealous? He knew Grant didn't like Cammie. He had Macey and Macey was a great girl. Sort of. But Zach _would_ admit that he was jealous Grant got to talk to Cammie in first period. He'll admit he was jealous when they walked out of class together. He'll admit when Bex was going on a rant about her lip balm that he was glaring at the back of Grant's head as they followed behind. He'll admit that he wanted to push Grant off the stair case railing as they walked up to their chemistry class.

"I'll see you later," Bex reached out for his hand, squeezing it gently. Zach nodded his goodbye letting her walk off down an opposite hallway.

Zach picked up his pace, almost directly behind Grant and Cammie. They didn't notice he was behind them, too engrossed in their private conversation. Zach wanted to find out what they were saying, but he couldn't make out anything except Grant's "See you later" when Cammie walked into Chemistry.

Before Zach walked into the classroom, he followed Grant and nudged him with his elbow. "Hey dude!" Before Grant had the chance to respond, Zach asked quickly, "Why are you seeing Cammie later?"

"What?" Grant asked, looking around nervously.

"'You told her you were seeing her later?" Zach asked, raising an eyebrow.

Grant's face broke into a smirk. "Spying on me Goode?"

Zach shrugged, as if nonchalant. He looked around the hallway then back to Grant, waiting for his reply. Grant chuckled, "Well, it's just a figure of speech? People say that all the time. I mean, I could be seeing her for a pre-planned event or I could see her on absolute coincidence. It's all a mystery that is life."

"Nice one smart ass," Zach rolled his eyes.

"Well, I gotta get to class." Grant shrugged, "I'll see you later Zach." He started to walk off then stopped to clasp a hand on Zach's shoulder. "But who knows when that'll be?"

Zach flipped him off and turned the opposite direction. He opened the door to his next class and slowly made his way into his seat. Cammie was already there, wiping clean the test tubes with a white cloth. She was situated on the lab table but was sitting at the very edge. Zach would take that to offense and comment on it, but he refrained.

So Zach took his stool and pulled it all the way to the edge so there was a large gap in between them. Zach pulled out his notebook and began jotting down formulas they needed to remember for their test that week.

He coughed.

Cammie glanced at him but then back to her test tubes. She bit her lip, stopping herself from saying something.

He stole a quick look at her but remained silent. Instead, he just let out a dramatic sigh. It was a desperate attempt to get her to talk to him. He hated the silence. Especially since he and Cammie talked so well together. It was always her words overpowering his because she talked _a lot_. But his words would always weave in nicely with all of her exclamation points and question marks. Together, good conversations would formulate.

And now it was nothing but awkward silence.

::

Cammie found Liz out on the parking lot where she was waiting by her car. She locked eyes with Cammie but didn't do anything. Cammie sighed, walking down the stone steps of their school. She tried to avoid the parking lot because not only was Liz there but so was Zach and all of his friends.

Cammie forced herself not to look at Zach as she was walking by, but she couldn't help it. So she looked and he was looking at her but then he turned to laugh at something Bex had said. Cammie sighed, holding onto the strap of her bag.

"Morgan!" Grant called from where he was standing with Zach and their circle of friends. Cammie turned to look at Grant not wanting to seem like a snob for ignoring him. She waved awkwardly then turned around, trying to hurry along.

But Grant didn't stop there, he chased after her, jogging down the parking lot. Zach watched him leave, his face was probably as confused as everyone else's.

"Hey Morgan!" Grant finally caught up to her, touching her arm to make her stop moving. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow, "Hey Grant."

"So I was wondering if you were busy?" Grant asked.

Cammie tried not to look worried, "Grant, if you're going to try to get me to talk Zach… it's not going to work."

Grant chuckled, "No, it's not that. I just want to know if you want to go for a drive. I know you usually ride home with Zach or Liz but I have a car."

Cammie smiled, "That's sweet. But I'd rather walk." She tried to walk away but Grant grabbed her arm to stop her. "Walking is such a hassle," He said and gestured to his car that was parked by Zach's. "Come on, Morgan. I won't bite."

"How do I know that for sure?" Cammie laughed nervously. She looked over Grant's shoulder, making sure there were witnesses if he was to kidnap her.

"Zach wouldn't let me do that," Grant said teasingly and dragged her along to his car. Cammie avoided everyone's eyes who stared at them. She felt like a little kid being dragged around the supermarket.

"Hey guys, I'll be taking Morgan home." Grant announced and one of the boys wolf-whistled. Grant let out a howl of laughter, "I don't mean it like that, bastards."

Zach looked up from where he was leaning against his car with Bex. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Cammie looked at him then down to her shoes. Grant looked at everyone, "Later guys."

He opened his car door for Cammie who got in. She buckled herself in and waited for Grant to get into the car. Once he did, he drove out of the parking lot. Cammie stared at Zach's figure getting smaller in the distance.

"So what's up Grant?" Cammie asked.

"What do you mean?" Grant glanced at her then stared back at the road ahead of them.

"Oh come on, I guess you and I are friends but we're not the type to give each other rides home," Cammie said bluntly.

Grant shrugged, "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Zach and I haven't been talking for a day, not a year." Cammie pointed out to him. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"But I know you're lying," Grant said, not meeting her eyes. "I think you two are great together and you two should be together."

Cammie frowned, "Well, I believe the same thing."

"But?"

"But… but if that happens, other people's feelings will be hurt." Cammie sighed, looking out the window. She tried to focus on the scenery around her. She studied all the shapes and sizes they passed by, trying to get her mind off things.

**a/n: Grant ships zammie, lol. And btw, I hate having them not talking :(((((( so yeah, I'm going supply shopping with my friends today :D which is the only reason to be happy about school coming back if you ask me.**

**Leave me some love and thanks for reading! **


	25. day 24

**( day 24 )**

Cammie sat at her bedroom desk trying to finish up her homework. It was a sunny afternoon and instead of enjoying the golden rays outside, she was in her room doing homework. Mainly because she had a lot of homework and secondly because she didn't really feel like hanging out with anyone. Or she did, but no one was there to hang out with.

It was another day of avoiding Zach in US History by sitting on opposite sides of the room then completely tip-toeing around him in Chemistry by being careful not to touch any of his test tubes and beakers. It was a confusing process. She was also so used to just talking to Zach about anything and everything.

And now there was a restriction. An invisible force field. It was horrible.

Cammie put down her pencil and reached out for her phone in her bag. She pulled it out and dialed Zach's number. She wanted to call him. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to do something. Anything.

But before she could make any rash decisions, she put her phone away. She stood up from her chair, leaving unfinished homework behind as she fell to her bed. She sighed, pushing away the long strands that fell to her face.

She wondered what Zach was doing.

Was he out with Bex? Was he home alone? Was he having fun or was he just as miserable as Cammie was? It was selfish, but she hoped he was just as miserable as she was. She rolled to her side, wondering how her life managed to turn so different in a matter of weeks.

It was scary.

If three months ago someone told Cammie was going to be in a situation like this, she wouldn't believe them. She wouldn't believe she'd find someone like Zach who liked her just as much as she liked him. She also wouldn't believe that almost every other girl in the school wanted him. Okay, she'd probably believe that considering he was Zach Goode!

She looked back at her phone and wondered if she should just call him. She wanted to but didn't want to at the same time. But to give her mind a break, she picked up her cell phone and dialed in. She brought the phone to her ear, waiting for the voice on the other end.

::

A phone ringing interrupted the video game match Zach and Grant were playing in Zach's basement. Zach paused in the middle of the gun shooting to grab the phone that was under his couch cushion.

He handed it to Grant. "Your phone dude."

"Thanks," Grant took it and answered, "Hello?"

"Grant? It's Cammie." The voice was shy on the other end.

Grant's eyes widened in surprise while he watched Zach shift through the settings of their video game. He chuckled, "What's up?"

"Um, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out or something?" Cammie asked, her voice sounding unsure.

"Uh like now?" Grant asked moving the joy stick on his controller.

"If you're not busy."

"Oh, well, I'm with Zach right now," Grant said, trying not to smirk as he said that. Zach paid no attention to him though, he continued with what he was doing. "But I can blow him off if you want?"

"Fuck you," Zach said, punching Grant in the arm.

Grant laughed, still holding the phone close to his ear. He waited for Cammie to respond. It took her almost half a minute to finally say something. "Oh," was the best she could come up with.

"But I can meet you later if you want?" Grant offered, hoping he didn't piss Cammie off.

"Sure, want to meet me in the food court? I need to go grab something at the bookstore anyway," Cammie said.

"Cool, I'll meet you in half an hour?" Grant asked.

"Sure thing," Cammie answered. "See you then."

Grant hung up after saying goodbye then unpaused the game. Zach and Grant played for awhile, fingers quickly dancing on the buttons of their controllers.

"Yes!" Grant threw his arms up and shouted, "Fuck yes!"

Zach lost.

He looked at Grant and asked, "So are you bailing on me now?" He raised an eyebrow, "I assume you're going to rendezvous with McHenry?"

Grant looked at him then tossed a navy blue pillow in the air. "Quite the opposite actually." He shrugged then asked, "Why don't you come with?"

"What? Why?"

"It beats hanging around here by yourself," Grant answered then stood up, pulling out his car keys. "Come on, it'll help you take your mind off things."

Zach contemplated for a moment, Grant had a point. Anything was better than moping around, wondering what Cammie was doing and who she was doing it with. He stood up as well, "Sure."

Grant smiled mischievously, turning his back to Zach, "Perfect."

::

Cammie purchased her book then watched as the cashier placed it into a paper bag. Cammie smiled, "thank you." She took the bag and walked out of the bookstore. The mall was pretty crowded, filing with people just coming off work and wanting some relaxation time.

Cammie looked at her watch; it was still a little too early for Grant to be arriving. She didn't know why she invited him to see her. Maybe she was bored and lonely. Or maybe she wanted to ask about Zach. She shouldn't be curious, but she was. But she headed to the food court anyway. She sat at the first empty table she saw and pulled her book out of its bag. She flipped it open and took in the new book smell and the freshly printed pages.

"Hey Cammie," Grant said as he approached her. Cammie looked up with a smile then it melted off as she saw Zach following behind. Zach's eyes met hers and he froze. It was obvious she didn't know he was going to be there either.

Grant took a seat in front of Cammie then turned to Zach and gestured for him to sit as well. Zach bit his lip to hold back the obscene words that was about to leave his mouth. He took a seat, nodding at Cammie.

Cammie tried to force a smile then looked at Grant with questioning eyes. But Grant just looked around at the dozens of food joints they could eat from. He looked at Zach and Cammie, "I'm going to get a pizza for us. Be right back." Before anyone could say anything, he was off and already walking to the pizza station.

Cammie and Zach stared at each other from across the table but said nothing. Cammie could feel her face burning up. She wanted to kill Grant.

::

Zach wanted to kill Grant.

When he said he wanted to go out, he didn't know it meant out with Cammie. First off, since when did they hang out outside of school? Second, why did he bring him there? He knew how awkward it was between the two and now he was just going to make it more awkward?

Cammie was staring at the book in front of her, trying her best not to look up to see Zach. He was surprised her neck wasn't straining from the position she stayed in. Zach reached out to fiddle with the napkin holder, pulling out a napkin and folding it into halves until it got too small to fold.

He wanted to say something.

But the only thing he could think of was _'I miss you'_ and that didn't seem right to say. What if she didn't miss him back? Instead of risking the rejection, he remained quiet.

He concentrated on folding his napkin while Cammie pretended to read her book.

It was a whole new level of uncomfortable.

People say miracles happen every day. And it just so happened that Zach got a miracle because Cammie finally spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Hi." She said, her voice sounding foreign even in her own ears.

Zach's tense shoulders relaxed as he looked at her shyly. "Hey."

"I wonder where Grant is with that pizza?" Cammie said looking over to the pizza joint to find Grant no longer waiting there.

"Probably wandered off to eat it all by himself," Zach chuckled knowing how much Grant loved his food. '_I'm a growing boy'_ was Grant's excuse for stealing Zach's food for as long as he could remember.

Cammie giggled, finally closing the book in front of her. "Yeah probably, but on the bright side, he paid for it himself so…"

Zach nodded, "I guess that's fair. But I'm starving so do you want to grab something to eat?"

"Sounds like a plan," Cammie stood up as Zach did. He reached out for her bag and even if Cammie offered to take it, he refused her. So they walked together, going in line to order some burgers and two milkshakes with large fries on the size.

As they waited, Cammie looked at him. She wanted to say what's been on her mind. But she couldn't. She couldn't find the words to and she couldn't find the courage either. But she hoped with the way Zach was looking at her, that somehow he knew. Somehow he knew she missed him even if it had been only two days that went by. Somehow he knew that she knew how stupid this whole situation was and how she was handling it really badly. Somehow he knew that she still didn't have it all together but she was trying and that she was sorry.

They stared at each other for awhile, moving slowly with the line. Cammie reached out for Zach's hand and he took it, squeezing reassuringly. Cammie smiled, breaking her stare from Zach's gaze.

Somehow he knew.

::

"Hey there you two are!" Grant said almost surprised, carrying a half empty pizza box.

Cammie and Zach spent almost half an hour eating their food and talking about anything and everything. Except the situation they were in. They didn't talk about that. It was refreshing and familiar and just right.

Grant sat opposite of the two and raised an eyebrow, "I came back and you two were MIA."

"Only because you ran off with the pizza," Zach pointed out, reaching over to lift the lid of the cardboard box. He found there were only six slices left. "And I see you were well fed."

"Very well," Grant nodded then looked at his watch, "Hey dude, can we go now? I told my mom I'd be home for dinner."

Zach and Cammie exchanged the same confused look. They burst out laughing, shaking their heads. Zach spoke up first once his laughter died down, "You can seriously eat after all that pizza?"

"I am a man of many ways," Grant answered proudly.

Zach chuckled, "Sure, we can leave." He looked at Cammie, "Do you need a ride home?"

"Yeah, do ya?" Grant asked.

Cammie shook her head, "No, it's cool."

"You sure?" Zach asked.

"Yeah," Cammie answered then looked at Grant, "Can I talk to you before you leave though?"

Grant nodded, standing up at Cammie's request. They both left the table, Zach watching them then looking down at the plate in front of him that occupied a few fries.

Cammie walked Grant over to the edge of the food court, behind a long row of bushes so Zach couldn't see them. Cammie raised an eyebrow, "So why did you bring him here?"

Grant gave a confused look, running a hand through his hair, "What do you mean?"

"Zach." Cammie said, point blank. "Why did you invite him here?"

"Are you guys together yet?" Grant asked, looking around the mall then shoving his hands into his pockets.

"What?"

"So is that a no?" Grant asked, meeting her eyes. It was rare, but Grant actually looked serious. Cammie was caught off guard. "It's a no," she admitted sadly.

"Damn," Grant frowned then said, "No worries though, I'm sure it'll happen eventually."

"What makes you so sure?" Cammie asked.

"I just have this gut feeling."

"I doubt it," Cammie said, shaking her head. She folded her arms across her chest and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Grant nodded.

"Has… he… are he and Bex…" Cammie was too embarrassed to ask the question.

"They're not dating," Grant supplied. "I don't think they ever will, to be honest."

"Why?"

"He's not as into her as he's into you," was Grant's answer.

Cammie hated herself for smiling like an idiot just then. But she did. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest and she couldn't fight back the smitten giggle. She blushed and then she covered her face with her hands.

Grant chuckled, "I'm serious though. I think he might be in love with you."

Cammie was surprised for a moment but she wasn't scared. There was a possibility that Zach could love her and she didn't doubt it. She also didn't doubt there was a possibility that she could love him back. She looked up at Grant then said, "Can I ask you something else?"

Grant nodded, urging her to continue. She said, "You are so sweet and nice and I'm just wondering. I know it's none of my business but why do you like Macey?"

"I don't know," Grant chuckled, "I guess I like the bitchy girls."

::

When Grant dropped Zach off at his house, Zach asked, "So I didn't know you and Cammie were close." He unbuckled his seat belt and opened his door but waited for Grant to respond.

Grant had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the stick shift. "Ooh, is that jealousy I detect?"

"Just a question," Zach shrugged.

"She's cool," Grant answered nonchalantly.

"Yeah, I know she's cool." Zach replied, almost defensively. Like it was ridiculous for Grant to even imply something about Cammie that Zach didn't already know. He already knew. "So when did you two start hanging out and where is Macey?"

Grant chuckled, "Goode, I'm not going to step in on your girl."

"She's not my girl," Zach replied but hated to admit it.

"Right whatever," Grant rolled his eyes. Zach punched his arm and got out of the car. He looked into the window and said, "See ya later man."

"Later!" Grant called out, backing out of Zach's driveway. Zach turned to walk up his house when his phone began ringing. He half hoped it was Cammie but knew that was too good to be true. He pulled it out and saw it was Bex.

"What's up?" Zach said once he answered the phone.

"I'm bored, what are you doing?" Bex said back.

"Just getting home, got back from hanging out with Grant," Zach intentionally forgot to mention Cammie. He feared Bex was going to go into her psycho rant mode and Zach was too tired to put up with it for the night.

"And you didn't invite me?" She said almost teasingly.

Zach laughed, opening the door to his house. "I didn't even know I was going to get invited." He closed the door behind her and made it to his room after saying hello to his mom.

"Hmph," Bex scoffed, "Well, what are you going to do for the rest of your night?"

"Probably some homework, I don't know," Zach said and turning on the laptop on his desk. He sat on his desk chair then said into the phone, "Hey, I actually want to talk to you about something."

"Oh? Sounds serious." Bex said, her voice dropping low but still playful.

"It kinda is," Zach said, typing his password into his user account.

"What about?"

"About Cammie."

**a/n: I am getting really good at this updating thing (: haha. Also, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read and review this story. You seriously have no idea how grateful I am :D thanks so much! **

**(unrelated to the story) does anyone watch Awkward? Just curious, lol.**


	26. day 25

**( day 25 )**

Zach held two coffee cups in his hand as he made his way down the hall. He needed to find Bex and he was almost positive she was going to be in a bitchy mood since he wanted to talk about the one thing he didn't want to talk about. He made his way through the obstacles of people, thankful the hot coffee hasn't spilled over yet.

He smiled brightly at her, "Good morning, beautiful!"

Bex closed her locker door and raised an eyebrow. She was dressed in a pretty floral dress with a jean jacket and black wedge heels. Her hair was in loose curls and her lips were shiny from the lip gloss. Zach handed her a coffee that she gladly accepted. She took a sip and said, "Thanks, I definitely need my caffeine fix for the day."

Zach nodded, drinking his own beverage. "So… I was thinking about what we were talking about yesterday…"

"You mean about Cammie?" Bex asked, taking another sip of her drink but her eyes never left Zach's.

Zach leaned against the row of lockers and shrugged, "Yeah."

Bex sighed dramatically, looking around trying to find someone she knew so she could avoid having this conversation. But Zach grabbed onto her wrist and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Bex asked, twirling the diamond stud in her ear. She looked at him, trying to look bored but she was actually really nervous.

"Why don't you like her?" Zach asked. "Why don't you like her for me?"

Bex had no idea how to answer Zach's questions, so she said a little nervously, "Can we not talk about it, Zach? Not here?"

Zach frowned then said in a low voice, "You know, the only reason why you would hate her for me is if you liked me. And I mean like-like me."

Bex stared at him, obviously at a loss for words. She straightened up then said, "I just… I don't know."

"Bex, I love you, okay? You're one of my best friends and the fact that you hate the girl I am pretty much in love with." Zach said, sounding so sure of his words.

"I know," Bex sighed then said, "Zach, I want to like her, okay? I do but at the same time, I can't."

"Because why?"

"Just because," Bex said adjusting the strap of her bag.

"I remember you said you loved me," Zach said, wanting to get over this whole situation. He hated awkward confrontations but he needed to get through this one. "Did you mean it?"

Bex looked at him, eyes unsure, "Why do you ask?"

"I don't want to hurt you, okay?" Zach said in a gentle voice. "I don't want you to get hurt and I don't want to be the reason for that."

"Are you trying to say you don't like me at all?" Bex smirked, trying to keep the conversation light. But it was impossible considering the situation. If she was being honest, there was a part of her that wanted Zach to like her how he liked Cammie. To light up whenever he saw her or to smile at the sound of her name. She wanted that.

But at the same time, she was realistic; she knew she couldn't have it.

No matter how hard she tried, she'd never be what Zach wanted.

She could accept that, but she didn't want to lose the title of Zach's real love to someone named Cammie Morgan. Please.

Bex shrugged, "I only see you as a friend. Yes, I'll admit you'd make a great boyfriend. But I love you… in a way that makes no sense." It sounded stupid but it was better than admitting she did love Zach and actually want to be with him. He didn't want to be with her no matter how hard she tried. It was always going to be Cammie and no one else. Zach had always been there for her, bailing her out of sticky situations and making her laugh when she was sad. She owed it to him to try to be happy for his new found relationship. Even if she hated it.

::

Cammie walked with her tray at lunch, wondering where she was going to sit. For the past few days, she could avoid sitting at lunch alone because Jonas was there. But today he left before the lunch period to go to a doctor's appointment. She looked around the open area, trying to find familiar faces. She had been going to that school for over a month now, but she still didn't really know anyone. That was probably because she was always with Jonas and Liz or Zach and Grant. Now she had to fend for herself, walking through the sharks of high school.

She could just eat alone, but eating alone would be way too pathetic.

And she didn't need to feel any more miserable.

She and Zach were talking yesterday, but they didn't talk today. Cammie didn't know why she couldn't just talk to him but for some reason, she didn't want to ruin their perfect moment yesterday. If she were to talk to him today in school, she felt like yesterday and all its perfection never happened.

Besides, Zach seemed pretty preoccupied with Bex. He was barely paying any attention to Mr. Solomon during their World War II lecture. He was too busy whispering something to Bex. Cammie tried not to cringe in jealousy, but she couldn't help it.

Liz was still not talking to her. Cammie really wished she would though because she missed her. Cammie saw Liz and Preston sitting by a far end table, too engrossed in their laptops than each other.

Cammie wanted to fix things, so she sucked in her breath and marched over to where Liz was sitting. Cammie gently dropped her tray on the table, her bottle of orange juice tipping over. Liz looked up from her computer screen, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Can we talk?" Cammie hoped her voice wasn't shaking. She met Liz's eyes and tried not to be the first one to break the stare. Luckily it was Liz, she turned to Preston. "Can you give me a minute?"

He looked at her then nodded, carrying his laptop and lunch tray away. He tried to smile at Cammie but he looked more worried for her than anything else.

Cammie took a seat so she was at the same level at Liz.

Liz was usually a quiet person, so it was ironic that Cammie was terribly afraid of her right now. But she tried not to be. "Liz, I want to say something."

"What?" Liz asked, her voice sounding stern and annoyed.

Cammie fiddled with the ends of her hair then said, "I just… I want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry about you finding out about Zach. I'm sorry I never told you he and I hung out and that I liked him. I'm just so sorry Liz."

Liz listened, eyes never leaving Cammie's. She sighed, "You knew how I felt about him."

"I know," Cammie said, "And that's the worse part because even if you liked him, I couldn't help falling for him like I did." Cammie felt like she wanted to cry which was stupid. She genuinely believed she did nothing wrong and had nothing to apologize for. She was just a girl who fell for a boy. But that boy happened to be someone Liz liked too.

"I just… I couldn't believe you did that," Liz said, biting her lip.

"I can't do anything but apologize okay?" Cammie was getting so tired of how stubborn Liz was. "I can't do anything to fix it. Except stop hanging out with Zach and that's exactly what I did."

"You did?" Liz asked.

Cammie nodded then sighed, "Look, I'm really sorry about everything. I'm really sorry that I screwed up and liked Zach. But I don't think I did anything wrong. Liz, you said so yourself, you can't help who you like."

"I was referring to Zach that time," Liz interjected.

"And so am I now," Cammie shot back. She stood up, grabbing her tray. "If you can't forgive me for this, then I don't know what else to do."

::

Bex waited for Zach afterschool by his car. She was staring at her reflection in her compact mirror, thankful she hadn't sweat off her eyeliner. It had been a long day. Zach wouldn't stop questioning her about the Cammie situation. He wouldn't leave her alone. For the past eight hours of education, it was Cammie this and Cammie that.

She was suddenly regretting her decision for being supportive of Zach's relationship.

"Baxter," Grant said coming up to her with a sly smile.

"Hey," She said, pulling out a tube of lip gloss from her handbag. She unscrewed the wand and applied it to her lips slowly.

"Trying to seduce me?" Grant winked.

Bex flipped him off then screwed her lip gloss back in its tube. "You wish, bud." She stuffed the tube into her bag, surveying the parking lot. It was filled with students trying to get home into their cars or students crowding around their circle of friends laughing and flirting. "Have you seen Zach?"

"Mm, a little down time?" Grant raised an eyebrow. "I hear you're finally lightening up one Cammie. Proud of you, love!" He placed an arm around her and ruffled Bex's hair. She squealed, "My hair! You idiot!" pushing his hands off.

Grant chuckled, backing off. He then asked, "But seriously, I'm really glad."

"Are you still with that slut from Cammie's old school?" Bex asked fixing loose strands of hair that fell to her face.

"She has a name," Grant rolled his eyes, but Bex could tell he hadn't offended him. She just shrugged, "She wore a dress to a party that I wouldn't even wear. Therefore, slut."

Grant grinned, "What can I say? I like them slutty."

"You like who slutty?" Zach asked as he approached them, hands jammed in his pockets. Grant and Bex stopped what they were talking about to look at him. Grant smirked playfully, trying to reach out for Zach. "Oh, you baby!" He made obnoxiously obvious kissing noises. Bex laughed while Zach rolled his eyes.

The trio hadn't had a moment in like that in awhile. They were usually so busy with school or being over dramatic. Grant liked to think of them as the Golden Trio just like in Harry Potter. But he was definitely Ron Weasley because Ron Weasely was a badass. Not that Harry wasn't a badass but Grant thought Zach would play a better boy who lived than he would. And Bex was Hermione except with tamer hair. It made perfect sense.

"Are you ready to leave?" He asked Bex who nodded, standing away from his car so he could unlock the doors. He turned to Grant, "need a ride, dude?"

Grant shook his head, "Nah, going to Macey's house." He said then a devilish smile formed on his lips, "if you know what I mean."

"Ew," Bex rolled her eyes then opened the door to Zach's car. She tossed her bag in then stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Zach was on the other end of the car looking at Grant, with a raise of the eyebrow and a cocky smirk, "Use protection."

Grant laughed, "Do you have one on you? I don't know if I do."

Zach shook his head with a chuckle, "Bye dude."

::

In the car, Bex and Zach were quiet for the beginning of the drive. The roads were a bit packed so they would drive for a few seconds then stop the next. It gave them a good amount of time to talk. Bex knew Zach really wanted to say something but he didn't want to sound pushy. So she said, "Alright, so why did you two have a falling out?"

Zach had his hands on the steering wheel, focusing on the road ahead. But he said, "Because Liz Sutton has a crush on me."

"So?"

"Cammie is Liz's friend."

"So?"

"She didn't want to hurt Liz," Zach answered, finally moving the car forward as the traffic lightened up. Bex stared at him for a while in amazement, Cammie sounded just like Zach wanting the best for everyone but forgetting to include them.

Zach was getting restless; waiting in traffic wasn't any fun. So he made a detour and drove to one of the old diner. They both got down and entered, it was small and cozy. It was also one of Zach and Bex's favorite places. It had black and white tiled floors and pink neon signs on the walls. It also had steel tables and countertops and rotating red high stools.

They ordered their usual vanilla milkshakes drenched in chocolate syrup. The waitress who's been serving them for years smiled when she handed the tall glasses over. Zach paid and included a generous tip. They took their drinks to their usual table by the window and enjoyed the busy streets.

Bex took a sip of her milk shake, feeling an odd sense of familiarity. She looked at Zach, "You want to know why I'm so afraid of you being with Cammie?"

"Why?" Zach asked, eyes still looking out the window. He stirred his milkshake with the blue bendy straw, waiting for her answer.

"I guess I'm scared things between us will change," Bex replied, "I'm scared that we won't be able to do things like this. I'm scared I'll lose you."

Zach met her eyes then, as if suddenly realizing where Bex was coming from. He leaned forward and reached out for her hand. He squeezed it reassuringly, "You're never going to lose me, okay? You and I… we're a packaged deal. You're my best friend and nothing's going to change that. I promise."

"You'll want to spend so much time with her," Bex said with a sad laugh. "You two will be that cute high school sweetheart relationship that everyone envies but secretly wants."

"I'll always make time for you," Zach said like a sworn promise.

"I guess, since my grandma… since she's been gone, I've always had you," Bex said, "Always. You've always been there for me. Whether we're just goofing off or making out. You've been there for me. I think I've lost enough people I care about this year, I can't lose you too."

Zach felt his heart swell up at those words. He played with her fingers, lacing his own through hers. "It won't happen. I can promise you that."

"People make promises all the time but break them," Bex pointed out.

"I guess I'll just have to prove it to you then," Zach smiled.

Bex laughed.

**a/n: I am so envious of the Grant-Zach-Bex friendship. I just love it so much. I sort of have a best friend like Zach (not as cool or anything haha) but just as sweet and he's always been there for me and he is just one of my favorite people ever. But I've never liked him, like ever. I don't even know what I'm going on about. But yeah, I hope my lovely readers find a guy like Zach some day :D **

**Thanks again for all the reviews, you guys always make me so happy to write and excited to update! **

**Unrelated rant to the story (you can skip this and move along if you dislike unrelated rants). Anyway, I don't usually watch tv. I have a tv in my room but it's only ever on when I'm about to fall asleep or getting ready for school. So this past week, I got the whole Awkward Season 1 dvd and fell in love with it. I thought it was going to be really stupid, to be honest xD but I fell in love with Jenna's room and Matty in general. **

**Or I have a love/hate relationship with Matty where at first I thought he was adorable and cute but I thought sometimes he was a jerk but in the end, I love him so much. But then there's Jake who is the best friend and usually I can pick between two guys or two girls in a love triangle but I can't. Jake is cute and funny and sweet and is so caring to Jenna. But Matty is so… he has such a nice smile and he really tries to be there for her and he just has this thing about him. Wow this rant is getting long. I apologize (although I doubt you've kept up with it for this long) again. I haven't gotten around to watching Season 2 but I googled it and couldn't believe what I read about the whole Jenna-Jake-Matty situation.**

**So in conclusion, I like Matty but I like Jake too. But I like Jenna and Matty more than Jake and Jenna. But I love the Jake and Jenna friendship and think he's a real sweetheart. Also, the author of this story is really rambly about her tv shows. Okay. **

**Have a great day! **


	27. day 26

**( day 26 )**

Liz tried not to chicken out when she saw Cammie walking her direction. Liz could easily avoid her and walk the other direction but she needed to confront her. So she waited for Cammie then said, "Hey."

Cammie looked at her as if she couldn't believe Liz was even speaking to her. Cammie stopped in her tracks and stared at her, "Hi?"

Liz looked at her then looked over her shoulder to avoid eye contact.

Cammie stood there, holding onto her bag and waiting patiently for whatever Liz wanted to say. Liz exhaled then said to her, "I was thinking about what you said. And I just wanted to talk to you."

"Sure?" Cammie said, choosing her words wisely.

But Liz smiled a genuine smile that Cammie hadn't seen in awhile. "Okay, meet me tomorrow? I'll text you."

"Okay," Cammie nodded and Liz waved then walked off. Cammie turned to see her go, not sure what to make of what she just encountered. Was this Liz finally coming around and no longer hating her? She sure hoped so.

Just then, she saw Zach turning the corner and walking her way. She tried to avoid him but instead she walked up to him with a smile, "Hey you."

Zach stopped in front of her and raised an eyebrow, "… hey?"

"So want to do something afterschool?" Cammie asked as if it was so normal for her to be asking this. Zach's eyebrows just shot up higher on his forehead. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, better than okay." Cammie nodded enthusiastically.

"Gallagher Girl, you do realize that you're being seen with me right now right?" Zach continued slowly as if Cammie couldn't process this herself.

Cammie swatted at his arm, "Are you trying to say you're embarrassed to be seen with me?"

Zach chuckled, "No, of course not. But aren't you embarrassed to be seen with me?" He adjusted the strap of his bag, still staring at her. She stared up at him, eyes shining brightly. They smiled at each other for awhile, not moving in the crowded hallways. It was as if time was slowing down and they were trapped in this moment, staring at each other with happy smiles. It always seemed to be like that with them. They always seemed to get so wrapped in each other's existence they tend to forget everything else around them.

Cammie stared down at her shoes, breaking the stare down. She traced the blue tiled hallways with the tip of her foot then looked at Zach, "I miss you."

"I miss you," Zach responded and he didn't care if it made him sound desperate and clingy, it was the truth. He missed Cammie a whole lot.

"So after school?" Cammie asked hopefully.

"I'll be there," Zach nodded then smirked at her, still staring at her face.

"What?" Cammie asked bewildered.

"Nothing," Zach exhaled. "I just really want to kiss you right now." He said in a low voice near her ear that made her insides melt. The things this boy could do to her.

Cammie rolled her eyes; hopefully he couldn't tell she wanted to kiss him just as much. "I wouldn't object to it."

"Public displays of affection?" Zach fake gasped. "You do now you can get a detention if you're caught in the act, right?"

Cammie bit her lip, trying to prevent the smile from forming on her lips. She gazed back at him, taking a step forward, "Life's about taking risks, right?"

She kissed him.

::

It was almost as if the awkwardness from the week was finally coming to a closing end as the weekend came up. Zach and Cammie didn't talk much in US History, but they did do a lot of talking in Chemistry. And flirting, if Zach could say so for himself.

"So what are your weekend plans?" Zach asked as he poured water into one of his test tubes. He looked over at her and she was already staring back. They shared a smile then they both turned away to do what they needed to do. Zach was mixing things in the beaker while Cammie was solving word problems from their text book.

"Liz wants to talk to me," Cammie answered.

"Really?" Zach raised an eyebrow, "Hopefully something good comes out of it, yeah?"

"I can only hope," Cammie joked. But she really wished what Liz had to say was something positive. She was tired of jumping through fire to get Liz's forgiveness. It was time for Liz to do something as well.

"How are you and Bex?" Cammie asked, although she knew nothing was going on. Or she hoped nothing was going on. Cammie sometimes felt insecure around Bex. Maybe it was the way she swayed her hips and puckered her lips. She was drop dead gorgeous. Any guy would want to be with her. And if the rumors were true, if she did have a thing for Zach. Why didn't she have Zach?

"She and I are okay," Zach answered. "In fact, we're better than ever, if I do say so myself."

Cammie smiled, "I'm glad."

"I think you should try to hang out with her sometime," Zach said.

"Me? Alone with Bex Baxter?" Cammie's eyebrows shot up and she dropped the pen she was holding. Zach, in mid-pour, turned to her with a laugh. "Yeah, why not?"

"I'm pretty sure she hates me," Cammie replied.

"She does not hate you," Zach insisted, placing his beaker over the counter's burner. He watched as the liquid quickly began to bubble then turned to Cammie. "I mean, okay, I'll admit, there were times she said she didn't like you. But I'm sure she got over it. She's really great. You'd like her if you got to know her."

"Maybe," Cammie shrugged, scribbling her answer onto a piece of paper.

"So, tell me something," Zach said conversationally. He leaned against their counter and folded his arms across his chest.

"Tell you what?" Cammie asked, turning on her stool so she was facing his body better. Zach looked over his shoulder at his experiment then back to Cammie, "Why did you suddenly go up to me today?"

"Did you not want me to?" Cammie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I wanted to," Zach confessed, "I guess I was just confused. This whole week, you shut me out. I was thinking you were giving up on me there."

"I guess, I just… I don't know, I missed you." It was all Cammie could come up with. She had no idea why she had the sudden urge to carry herself in front of Zach, she had no idea why she spoke to him as if they've never had a falling out, she had no idea why she kissed him. Okay, she knew why she kissed him. But that was the only thing she did know.

::

Once the final bell rang for the day, dismissing all the students, Zach and Cammie met up in the parking lot. Zach opened the door for her and he drove off, not really wanting to get stuck with his friends who would probably just ruin his afternoon with Cammie. So he made sure to get to the parking lot before any of them showed up.

"So where to?" Zach asked.

"Anywhere but here," Cammie responded.

Zach smiled at that, and then drove down the road. He knew exactly where he should take them. It wasn't too long of a drive so they were in front of a deserted park in a matter of seconds. It was one of the small parks with a tiny playground that kids walked to after school. Thankfully, there weren't many kids out. So Cammie and Zach could take the swings.

They both sat, rocking back and forth. It was silent except for the squeaking sound the chains made on their swings and the rustling of a few dead leaves that were falling and drying up. Spring would come in a matter of weeks and all the naked tree trunks would be lively again with vibrant emeralds.

Zach looked over at Cammie, smiling to himself. She was so beautiful.

Cammie felt his gaze on her then turned around, "See something you like?" She smirked, copying Zach's signature move. Zach chuckled at that, his shoes keeping him balanced on his rocking swing. "Actually more than like, I suppose."

Cammie pretended she didn't hear that as her face turned red. She looked out into the horizon, noticing a pair of white birds flying through the clear blue sky. It was a pretty day. She turned back to Zach who was digging small holes in the sand with his shoes. She chuckled holding onto the chains of her swing. She allowed to lean back a little, staring up at the sky above her. She kicked her legs softly at first, gaining momentum.

Zach watched her and she called out to him, "I bet you can't swing higher than me!"

"Are you seriously challenging me? You have chicken legs." Zach laughed and Cammie paused her swinging to glare at him, "Remind me why again we're friends?"

"Because I'm irresistible," Zach winked and pulled himself back on his swing, standing up a little. Then he lifted his legs and allowed himself to swing forward. Cammie rolled her eyes and continued swinging.

They stayed like that for awhile, laughing at how childish and immature they were being. Trying to beat the other by kicking their legs higher, willing their swings to go higher too. It seemed pretty fair game as they were both soaring high and falling back at the same time.

Sooner or later, they were both tired and slowing down. Cammie laughed, holding herself in her seat, "Wow okay, massive headache." She rubbed at her forehead, her hair crazily falling all over the place. Zach chuckled, reaching forward and pushing back a few strands. He stood up and reached out for her hand. She gladly accepted and they both held on to each other to keep balance.

They both chuckled as they tried to walk a few feet away from the swing set. They didn't make it very far as they were both collapsing on the ground followed by an eruption of laughter. They laid there on the green grass, sunlight being blocked by the large tree they were in front of. They waited to calm down before speaking.

"That was fun," Cammie said a little out of breath.

Zach nodded and stared at her, eyes glinting with happiness. Zach was sure his eyes reflected the same thing. He turned on his side to get a better view of her.

"Hey Cammie?" Zach said in a whisper.

"Yeah?" Cammie whispered back, not meeting his eyes. She was staring above her, watching the clouds float on by.

"I think I'm in love with you," Zach replied.

Cammie's heart beat sped up then. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was both happy and surprised. She didn't say anything at first so Zach turned on his back. They both laid in comfortable silence, not wanting to rush the other.

They remained where they were for a few minutes longer then Zach pointed vertically. "That cloud looks like a penguin."

"Which one?" Cammie asked finding her voice. It was always strange to hear her voice after a few moments of silence.

"That one," Zach was still pointing and Cammie followed his arm until it guided her to a misshapen penguin cloud formation.

Cammie chuckled, "It does look like a penguin. Although it kind of looks like a dog with two legs."

Zach laughed, "I guess so."

"Hey Zach?" Cammie said after their laughter died down a little.

"Yeah?" Zach said, turning to face her. She turned to face him too. She smiled, "I think I'm in love with you too."

**a/n: fluffy zammie feels :D **

**wow, okay, so I start school literally in two days. And I guess it's actually happening because I have my schedule, went to my orientation, and have all my supplies :((( I don't know what my updating schedule is gonna be like when school starts. But I promise to finish this story! **

**Leave me some feedback and have a lovely day and school year :)**


	28. day 27

**( day 27 )**

"So why did you want to talk today?" Cammie asked once she and Liz took their seats at the café they were in. it was a sunny Saturday afternoon at the Roseville mall. Cammie and Liz were seated in an outdoor café that overlooked the small, quaint town.

"I guess… I don't know, I guess I figured out I was being ridiculous?" Liz tried to laugh at herself but she felt too embarrassed. She was in high school and she was acting like she was in third grade. Liz looked down at the beaded bracelet around her left wrist and twirled it around in a circle.

Cammie watched her, not sure how to respond. Was it Liz's way of apologizing?

A waiter came up to them with a small notepad in hand. "Good morning ladies, can I interest you in something from our breakfast menu?"

Liz and Cammie both shook their heads no.

"But I'll have a vanilla latte," Cammie said then looked over at Liz. She stared back at the waiter who had his hair slicked back and a friendly smile on his face. "Um, a medium drip, thanks."

He scribbled down on his pad with his pen, nodding while repeated the order. He stopped writing after a click of then pen and walked away with a "your order will be on its way."

"Liz," Cammie said once the waiter left and they were alone again. "I really am sorry. I hope you know that. If it could be anyone else, I would gladly have chosen someone else. I didn't want to choose Zach to hurt you."

"I know," Liz sighed, "I guess, in a way, I was jealous."

"Jealous?" Cammie raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, you just having everything together, you know?" Liz said, "I mean, you make good grades, you easily made friends despite being the new girl, you're so pretty and nice and funny, and well, Zach Goode likes you."

And at the sound of his name, Cammie couldn't help but break into a smile.

Liz chuckled, "I'm glad though. If it could be anyone, I'm glad it was you. I mean, I don't think I'm Zach's type."

"Well, thank you," Cammie nodded, "but I think you should know that I don't really have it all together. I'm actually a bit screwed up."

That was the truth. There were so many things Cammie thought was wrong with her. Like how she couldn't speak up to Macey back at Gallagher, like how she couldn't stand up to Liz about Zach. It was funny how Liz thought she was so great when she herself didn't think that.

"Also, I guess I wanted to talk to you today because… I really missed having you around to talk to," Liz said, "I mean; it's not really fun just talking to Preston all day, you know?"

Cammie laughed, "Well, I was really bored too."

Their orders came on trays that the waiter carried. They gladly accepted them and the waiter smiled as he went to his next table. They took sips of their drinks and talked. It was a little uncomfortable at some points, because the time spent apart could do that. But for the most part, they laughed and filled each other in on everything the other missed. Liz talked a lot about her extracurricular activities while Cammie filled Liz in on all what's been going on with Zach. Except that she loved him and vice versa. She wanted that to be a little secret she shared with Zach.

"So… um, can I ask you something?" Liz asked.

Cammie looked at her and nodded, "What's up?"'

"How's Jonas doing?" Liz bit her bottom lip, waiting for Cammie's reply. Cammie looked up from her drink and said, "Oh… he's okay."

Cammie had been too caught up with her own teenage drama; she didn't really have time to ask Jonas how his was going.

"That's great," Liz nodded like she was trying to reassure herself. "I'm glad. He deserves to be okay."

"Are you okay?" Cammie asked, drumming her fingers against the table. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. The noise filled the empty space between the two. Liz listened to the beat of Cammie's fingers then said, "I'm okay. I'm just trying to fix things."

"Have you two talked?" Cammie asked staring at her empty coffee cup. The only thing that remained was the chocolate brown stains from the syrup of her drink.

"No," Liz shook her head. "I wish we did though."

"Why don't you try and talk to him?"

"He hates me."

"He doesn't _hate_ you. Strongly dislike maybe, but not hate."

"Really? Cause I would hate me if I were him, even if I were you, Cammie." Liz said feeling guilty.

Cammie frowned, "I don't hate you. And Jonas doesn't either. I think you should just try and talk to him."

::

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Cammie asked when Zach answered his phone.

"Why do you ask? Do you want to do something tomorrow night?" He asked, voice booming with the familiar cockiness Cammie came to know and love. _Love_. It was still kind of funny she felt that way. She's never been in love so it would take some getting used to.

Cammie rolled on her side, her ear buried into one pillow with her phone pressed into the other. "Well, sorta. But sorta a group thing?"

"Oh gosh, we're _that_ _kind_ of couple?" Zach groaned and Cammie giggled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cammie asked her face hurting from all the smiling. Couple, she and Zach were a couple. But not formally.

"I mean, group dates, really? We tried that with Grant and Macey, remember?" Zach pointed out.

"I know." Cammie answered and before she was about to continue, Zach cut her off. "And did that end well, Gallagher Girl?"

"Not exactly but—"

"But nothing, group dates are horrible." Zach concluded. "I don't want to go on another one."

"So you won't go?" Cammie fake gasped in horror.

Zach chuckled, "I will for you but I don't want to."

"Aw, you're too sweet," Cammie said flirtatiously. She rolled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling. "So then tomorrow, alright?"

"I guess," Zach said, "but please tell me we won't be doing something lame like a dinner and a movie. Again, we tried that with Grant and Macey and that was a horrible experience."

Cammie laughed, "Someone's a bit dramatic, huh?"

"Who are we going with anyway?" Zach asked.

"Oh Liz and Jonas!" Cammie said excitedly, staring at her sock clad feet. She wanted to give herself a pat on the back for the idea she came up with. If Liz and Jonas didn't want to talk to each other then she would get them to talk one way or another. And how perfect would it be if they were forced onto a date?

Cammie was pretty proud of herself for coming up with the plan.

Technically it was Grant's plan for Cammie and Zach.

But she'll take the credit.

"Whoa really?"

"Yeah, it's a long and complicated story. I won't bore you with the details," Cammie said, "just be there tomorrow."

"Okay, fine. But if Jonas starts kicking my ass…" Zach started.

"Don't worry I'm sure he doesn't punch that hard." Cammie answered.

"You'd seriously let me get into a fight with Jonas?"

"Well, think of it as defending my honor…?" Cammie suggested, teasing him.

"You want me to defend your honor? I'm starting to think I spoil you too much, Gallagher Girl." Zach said regretfully but they both knew he was joking. "Oh hey, can we invite some more people?"

"Sure," Cammie replied. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Bex and whoever she's bringing." Zach replied.

Cammie squirmed a little; "oh…" she hoped Zach couldn't tell she was feeling uneasy at the thought of spending a night with Bex. If spending a night with Macey was torture, Bex would probably be far worse.

"I mean, you want to get to know her better right?" Zach said slowly.

"Of course," And Cammie did. But she wasn't sure tomorrow was the best time for all of that. But she couldn't say no to Zach.

**a/n: short chapter. I've been busy and let me tell you why: school takes up a lot of my time. 8 hours at school, 4-6 hours of homework, and 2 hours of doing nothing before I hit the sheets. My life is so exciting. **

**But yeah, leave a review and have a great day :D **

**Also: I keep forgetting to comment on ff's new website/account format. And since you can add a photo or "book cover" to your story, I think I'll be doing that whenever I have the time. But they'll just be pictures I get off the internet. Yay. **


	29. day 28

**( day 28 )**

"Did I tell you I think this is a totally bad idea?" Zach said with a groan as he and Cammie waited outside the bowling alley for their friends. It was a Sunday afternoon and everyone reluctantly agreed to go along for a bowling date. But no one knew it was going to be a group thing.

Cammie rolled her eyes, and stared down at the cemented steps that led up to the bowling alley. "It'll be fine, you worry too much."

"How did you even get Liz and Jonas to agree to this?" Zach wanted to know. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans and leaned against the orange pillar that held up the bowling alley sign. Cammie leaned back against the one opposite of him.

"It wasn't that hard," she shrugged carelessly.

Correction, it wasn't that hard because they didn't know who exactly they were going with. As far as Liz and Jonas were concern, it was just a bowling day with Cammie and no one else.

"So you lied?" Zach raised an eyebrow, a smirk already forming on his face.

Cammie rolled her eyes again, "well, tell me how you got Bex to agree to come? Doesn't she hate me?"

"She doesn't _hate_ you," Zach tried to reason.

Cammie wanted to raise a skeptical eyebrow but she couldn't help the smile that was about to form on her face. Zach sounded just like how she did with Liz the other day. It was kind of funny how in sync they were about solving problems. Then again, they were pretty much in sync with everything.

"Zach," Bex's voice came up as she walked with some boy they've never met. She smiled at him but her smile slightly faded when she saw Cammie. But she regained her composure and looked at Cammie, "Hey Cammie."

"Hi," Cammie said weakly. She wouldn't admit it to Zach but Bex scared the living shit out of her.

"And hey Bex's friend," Zach gestured to the guy right next to her. Bex looked over at him and smiled, "oh this is Charles from Biology." She reached out and grabbed his arm. He smiled at her then looked over at Zach, "Hey man."

Zach just nodded, eyeing the two.

"So is it just us?" Bex asked looking between Cammie and Zach.

Cammie shook her head, "Oh, a few other people. But maybe we'll go in first?"

"Okay," Bex said tugging along Charles. They pushed the glass double doors that led them into the bowling alley. Zach and Cammie shared a look before moving.

"You okay?" Cammie asked, concerned.

Zach just nodded, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss on her lips. "Yeah, come on." He wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and led her inside where Bex and Charles were already sitting by an available bowling lane. Zach and Cammie sat opposite of them on the round red cushioned booth.

"So… you two just started hanging out?" Zach asked, pointing his finger between Charles and Bex. Bex stared at him with a raised eyebrow then nodded, "yeah, why?"

Zach shook his head, "no reason." He then looked down at the table then back to Cammie who he tried to smile reassuringly at.

Just then, Liz came walking in with a smile. But that smile immediately melted off when she saw who was sitting with Cammie. She hesitantly walked towards them, confusing written all over her face. "Hi…?" Liz said slowly, standing in front of the table.

Cammie smiled, "I'm so glad you're here!" She stood up and Zach scooted out of the booth so she could get out. She patted Liz's arm, trying to tell her not to freak out. "I hope you don't mind a few people are going to be here."

"People?" Liz asked, still confused.

"Cammie," Jonas said as he came up behind Liz. Cammie looked over Liz's shoulder to smile at him, "Hey you." Liz turned around and came face to face with Jonas. They both froze from where they were standing. Eyes locked on the other's not daring to look away. Time was frozen for a moment, not just for them but for everyone. No one moved from where they were.

::

"St-riiike!" Grant jumped for joy as he high fived the fellow players on the other lane who looked scared and confused by him. He happily shook his butt, punching the air above him and laughing. Grant wasn't supposed to come, in fact no one even thought to invite him. Which is why he came into the bowling alley in the middle of Zach's turn to argue and whine that he should've been invited just because he was Grant. Luckily, he didn't bring annoying Macey McHenry so the already tense atmosphere wasn't as tense as it could be.

He walked over to Zach who plugged in his score and nodded, "great job man." He then looked over his shoulder to where Charles and Bex were sitting, not really talking.

"Whoa there, what the fuck was that?" Grant raised an eyebrow, punching Zach in the arm. Zach cringed at the contact, rubbing his arm. "What?" He turned to look at Grant.

"Are you actually worried about Bex right now?" Grant raised an eyebrow but hoped he didn't raise his voice. "Cause dude, I swear, if you suddenly want Bex now I will kick your ass into oblivion."

"I don't want Bex," Zach rolled his eyes.

"Then why in the world are you sizing up her date and keeping an eye on them?" Grant glared. "If you hurt Cammie, I am going to kill you dude."

"The only reason I'm concerned is because I don't want her to be with someone I don't think is good enough for her, alright?" Zach answered.

"You are acting crazy," Grant shook his head, "Bex has pretty much been in love with you since what? Middle school? And now that you found a great girl, you suddenly want the first girl who finally found a guy she might like?"

"It's not like that," Zach insisted.

"It better not be," Grant raised his eyebrows threateningly. "I worked too hard to get you and Cammie together. I'm not going to let you mess this up, Zachary Goode. I will not!"

"Do you hear yourself right now?" Zach asked, shaking his head slowly.

"So that puts Zach's team in the lead," Cammie said as she got over with a tray of drinks that she and Liz ordered. Once she placed the tray on the table, everyone's hands went to grab a drink. There were two drinks left over and Cammie held both of them, going over to Zach. She offered the drink and he gladly accepted it, "thanks, Gallagher Girl."

She nodded then looked over at Grant who stared at her with a frown. "Stop that, I'm sorry I forgot to invite you!"

"That's cold C-dawg, that's cold," Grant shook his head in fake sorrow. He turned to the side and took a sip of his drink. "I thought you and I had something special."

Cammie rolled her eyes, "Well, even if I told you that I didn't want you to come, I bet you'd come anyway."

Grant laughed, "Probably."

Liz then walked over to Cammie and poked her side, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah sure," Cammie nodded then looked over at her team who was Jonas, Liz, and Charles. "Charles, do you want to go next?"

He detached his hand from Bex reluctantly, "Sure." He nodded and got up to go grab a ball. Liz grabbed Cammie's hand as the other's watched Charles.

"Why is Jonas here?" She whisper shouted once they were a safe distance away.

"Why?" Cammie asked, "Aren't you having a good time?" She nervously looked around, biting her lip with her drink still in hand.

"Not at all, this is so uncomfortable and awkward," Liz answered, folding her arms across her chest. "Can't I just go home early by telling everyone I got a stomach bug?"

"No!" Cammie nearly yelped. "Liz you can't. Don't you… don't you want to fix things with Jonas?"

"He's barely said anything to me!" Liz replied, frustration obvious in her words. She sighed, defeated looking down at her feet.

"Well, have you even tried to talk to him?" Cammie asked in a low voice, in fear of a random outburst from Liz.

Liz sighed, "I guess, but not really?"

"Why don't you just try harder?" Cammie offered, starting to walk away. "Come on, we need to get back." Liz reluctantly dragged her feet after Cammie.

When they got back to the group, Bex and Grant were high fiving, "We so own this game!" Grant nodded with a triumphant smile. He then looked over to Bex, "Okay Baxter, go in there and win it for us."

Bex stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to grab a ball. She picked the neon green one and walked down the bowling lane. She concentrated on the pins down her lane and then brought her arm back to release the ball swiftly. It was rolling center on the lane until it started to travel left and fall into the gutters.

"Noooo!" Grant pulled at his hair, dramatically falling to his knees.

Bex waited for her ball to come back, once she picked it up she turned around to face them. "I think I need some help with this." She frowned gesturing at her ball.

Charles put the drink he was holding down and was about to stand up before Zach got up to say, "I'll help." He avoided everyone's stare at him then walked forward to Bex. She stared at him but didn't reject his offer. He stood by her and helped her bring her arm back, "So you just gently release it." Zach said as Bex dropped the ball onto the lane and watched it roll slowly.

"What are you doing?" Bex asked, "I'm pretty sure your girlfriend isn't very pleased right now."

"Why did you bring a date?" Zach asked, not even commenting on what she just said.

"You told me to," Bex said to him as her ball hit two pins down. She picked up her ball and again and concentrated on the pins in front of her.

"I know, but I didn't think you would." Zach said lowly, running a hand through his hair.

"Did you expect me to pine for you?" Bex asked, looking back at him then releasing her ball down the lane. This time it went at full speed and hit all the pins down. She smiled happily and Zach high fived her then said, "Great job."

They both turned to walk back to the group. Bex sat next to Charles who congratulated her and Zach was smart enough not to sit next to Cammie who looked more than pissed. He sat next to Grant who raised an eyebrow knowingly but shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.

"So…" Jonas started awkwardly after no one said anything.

"Maybe we should eat now?" Bex said, "I'm starving." She rubbed her perfectly flat stomach through her pretty blouse and looked over at Zach.

Zach nodded, "Sounds like a good idea."

They all stood up, going over to the concession stand. Bex and Charles took the lead, followed by Zach and Grant, then Jonas with Liz and Cammie. Cammie folded her arms across her chest, the familiar sting of tears already in her eyes. She was not going to cry. She was not going to cry. She was _not_ going to cry.

::

Once they all got their food, they found a table big enough by the food court. They all sat around the small circular table, knees pressed to each other because of the small space. Everyone began eating except Cammie who poked at her French fries with no energy. She wasn't hungry.

Zach kept trying to steal glances at her but she wouldn't budge.

What was he supposed to think? Zach had been acting weird ever since Bex came with Charles. He'd been staring at them and glaring at Charles. Then he even volunteered to help Bex with her bowling. He didn't offer to help Cammie even though Cammie was an excellent bowler.

She was so stupid.

But today wasn't about her; it was about Jonas and Liz. It was about finally settling things between them. She'd have to deal with her feelings with Zach later because if she thought about it now, she'd surely cry.

Liz nudged Cammie and mouthed '_are you alright_?'

Cammie forced a smile and nodded. She looked at Liz then looked over at Jonas, gesturing to him. Liz took a deep breath and looked at Jonas, "Can I talk to you?"

Jonas looked at her; he looked as if he might say no. And that scared not only Liz, but Cammie too. But at the last second, something inside him changed his mind and he nodded, "sure." They pushed back their seats and got up, walking out of the bowling alley to somewhere that wasn't echoing with the sound of bowling balls hitting pins.

Once they were outside, Liz looked at him. "I'm really sorry, okay?" She said once the glass door shut out all the noise from the inside of the bowling alley. "I know that makes no sense and I'm a little late with this apology. But I am so sorry. Jonas, I didn't know… if I did, I wouldn't have hurt you like that. I'm an idiot, okay?"

"Do you still like him?" was all Jonas wanted to know in spite of everything.

"Who? Zach?" Liz asked.

Jonas nodded, "Do you still like him?" He repeated again.

"No, I don't. I did, but I don't. Not anymore." Liz said, feeling her words leave her tongue before she could even process any of it.

"Okay," Jonas nodded and the nothing. He said nothing else and that both drove Liz crazy and reassured her at the same time.

::

"Are you still ignoring me?" Zach asked once he sat next to Cammie on an empty bench. She crossed her arms over her chest then looked at him, her eyes hard and icy. She then looked forward, not a word escaping her lips. Zach sighed as they watched Liz clumsily roll the ball to the pins. He looked at Cammie again and frowned, "I know, I'm an idiot."

Cammie wanted to agree but she didn't dare speak.

"Listen, I know earlier, this whole day, I know everything I've been doing looked bad. I feel like such a douche for acting the way I did and I know you're mad at me." Zach went on. "You have every right to be mad at me but…"

"But what?" Cammie snapped, turning to him. She glared angrily at him, feeling her temper rise. "What excuse do you have for this?"

"It's not an excuse," Zach answered, "I know how stupid I was, okay?"

"Do you like her?" Cammie asked the words felt like venom releasing from her throat. Again, she felt the tears swelling up but she blinked them away.

"Bex? No!" Zach answered.

"Then what?" Cammie asked, half grateful the answer wasn't yes but still angry that there was a need for that question in the first place. "Tell me what's going on because I'm feeling like an idiot because I thought…"

"You thought?" Zach pressed, turning his upper body so he was facing her better.

She turned to him, biting her lip. She sighed then said, "I thought that you and I…" She sighed again, "Forget it. It's useless."

"No, it's not," Zach wanted to reach out to her but he knew she'd swat his hand away.

"You know, sometimes we get close to people and they become a part of us and we even start to fall in love with them without knowing. It kind of just sneaks up at us, I guess. And maybe you don't know this. But maybe there's a part of you that loves her and always will. You may think you don't but then you get so used to that person that it's natural already." Cammie said, not meeting Zach's eyes as she said any of this. "Sometimes people don't know how important someone is to them till someone else is important to that person. In this case, Charles to Bex."

Zach sighed as he took that all in. "I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt you or Bex or Liz or Jonas or whoever the hell else." He sighed frustrated. "I especially don't want to ever hurt you." He took a pause then continued, "But… But I'm hurting you and hurting everyone and screwing up so bad."

"Listen Zach," Cammie said, her throat knotting up. "You need to figure out what you want because I'm confused and I don't feel so great right now."

"I don't need to try to figure this out," Zach insisted, "I choose you, I want you."

**a/n: longest chapter ever, hello :D **

**Anyway, I'm sort of in a funk right now and I wanted to write something kind of… emotional? So yeah, I hope you guys leave some reviews because this story is over soon D: but I do have a new story called "**_**Ignite**_**" and it'd be lovely if you read it. **


	30. day 29

**( day 29 )**

"Why does it bother you so much if I see Charles?" Bex asked, hugging her binder to her chest. "I mean, you made it clear that you are never going to like me the way I like you. So what's your deal, Goode?"

Zach walked along side her, careful not to run into anyone in the crowded hallway. It was Monday morning and it was raining quite hard outside, everyone's shoes getting soaked in the deep puddles. Zach looked at her, then shrugged, "I… I just don't want you to get hurt, okay? I'm concerned for you."

"You don't need to protect me," Bex said, stopping by her locker and spinning her combination in the lock. She opened her locker door and a white envelope letter fell out. She bent down and picked it up and turned it over, seeing the hand written name on it. Bex giggled, tearing open the seal. She took out the folded piece of paper and began reading.

Zach leaned against the bank of lockers next to Bex's, studying her. He jammed his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone to check the time. Bex then folded the letter back into its envelope, smiling idiotically.

"From Charles, I assume?" Zach teased.

Bex rolled her eyes, "You're so jealous, it's almost cute." She grabbed a text book then tucked the letter in between the pages. "Or it is, I guess." She looked at him and smirked.

Zach shook his head, "I'm only concerned because…" But he couldn't explain it. Bex was his best friend. He knew that he had no actual attractions towards her. Sure, she was pretty but Zach didn't and couldn't like her like how she claimed to like him. That made things complicated.

Since they were young, Zach had this crazy need to make sure she was okay. He was protective of her because Bex had so much going on in her life. It was kind of routine that Zach made sure she was always happy because if she wasn't, who knows what could happen.

"I get it," Bex nodded, "Probably the same way that I feel about you. Which is why, I don't think that Cammie is good enough for you…" Zach shot her a warning glare but she just chuckled, "but of course, I won't step in."

Bex closed her locker door and took a step forward, "And I don't want you to step in either. With Charles. I don't necessarily think anything serious might happen… who knows, really? But I appreciate you caring about me, but you know…"

"I get it," It was Zach's turn to nod. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"And I don't want you to get hurt," Bex replied with a smile. Zach smiled back and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back, head buried in his shoulder.

"Whoa, group hugs?!" Grant came towards them, wrapping his around both of them. He shut his eyes and grinned, "This is nice."

Bex laughed, "So Newman, when are you and McHenry breaking up?"

Grant rolled his eyes, "Hey, I overheard the conversation you guys were having. As best friends, we're supposed to support each other. So support me!" Grant ruffled Bex's hair but she swatted his arm away.

::

"There's a dance this weekend," Liz was telling Cammie as they walked down the hallway to their first period classes. "The Student Council set it up for some fundraiser. It's supposed to be 50's themed. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Are you going?" Cammie asked as flipped through her US History notes. She wasn't that in the mood to talk about dances or dates because she wasn't even sure if she was going to go. Of course, she considered going with Zach but she wasn't even sure if he was going to ask her to go. But she was thankful Liz was more willing to talk to her and she wasn't going to risk having their friendship falter again.

"I don't know who would I go with?" Liz shrugged her slender shoulders.

"Jonas," Cammie smiled. She couldn't help but notice the way Liz's cheeks turned pink at the sound of the name.

"Oh… uh, yeah, well, I don't know…" Liz stuttered nervously, biting her lip. Cammie laughed and stopped by her first period class. "Well, this is my stop. I'll see you at lunch?" She turned to look at Liz who nodded, "Yup, see you there." And she walked off.

Cammie then walked into her class and noticed almost all her classmates were seated, including Zach, Bex, and Grant. Cammie hung her head low as she made her way into the first available seat. She sat down and opened her text book already beginning her notes.

From the opposite corner of the room, Zach watched her and then turned to Grant and Bex. "I am an idiot." He sighed, twirling his pen between his index and thumb finger. Bex and Grant looked up from Grant's laptop to stare at him. Bex was the first to speak, "You're not an idiot. I for one, think you are really sweet."

Grant rolled his eyes, "Only because he's being sweet to you."

Bex turned to him and glared, "You know, it wouldn't kill you to be sweet to me."

Grant's eyes widened and his mouth formed an O in shock. "What?! I am always sweet to you, baby cakes. You are the light of my life. The air that I breathe. The blood that runs through my veins. I would stand with you on a mountain. I'll bathe with you in the sea. I'll live like this forever till the sky falls down on me!" He stuck a defiant finger in the air and nodded.

"Okay I get it, shut up now," Bex groaned, rolling her eyes. Grant laughed and looked at Zach, "Anyway dude, I really hope you and Cammie work it out because there's a dance on Saturday. Maybe you should ask her to go?"

Before Zach could say anything, Mr. Solomon came into the room with a smile, "I hope you're already for today's test." The class groaned simultaneously. His smile grew even wider, "Ah, music to my ears. Now clear off everything at your table and we will begin promptly in five minutes."

::

"Hey Cammie," Zach said as he placed his stuff on their shared lab table. He didn't want to call her Gallagher Girl just in case she was still mad at him. He took the seat next to her but didn't move it away; he wasn't going to avoid confrontation with her. He really wanted to make sure things were okay. Cammie looked up from her notebook and nodded, "Hey."

"Listen… about yesterday…" Zach started but Cammie didn't let him finish. "It's fine. Don't even worry about it."

"No, I will," Zach said and sighed turning his stool ninety degrees so she could look at her fully. "I don't like Bex okay? I know yesterday probably told you a completely different story. But I don't. I'm just worried about her. She and I, despite the situation, were always the best of friends. I'm just watching out for her."

"That's really noble of you," Cammie tried to sound happy. Part of her knew that there was nothing going on between Zach and Bex but there was also a tiny part that knew that there was always going to be a special part for Bex in Zach's life. And maybe that made Cammie selfish, to take up all of Zach's attention and time and presence.

Zach reached out for her hand, squeezing it gently. He wanted to say more but Mrs. Dabney walked in, assigning them their daily assignment and all the partners began to work. Cammie began writing down formulas into her notebook while Zach took out the supplies. Since they've become partners, they fell into a steady routine about how to do things. Cammie would always do the calculations and explanations while Zach would do the experiments. They made a very good team.

"You're thinking too hard," Zach commented to Cammie. She looked up from her work and looked at him, a small smile forming on her face. "You know me so well."

"Well yeah, I'd like to think so," Zach smiled at her then looked back at his test tubes. She admired him for a moment, wondering how this all happened. How did this amazingly cute boy with a perfect smile and charming personality fall for her too?

Sure, ever since she and Zach met, there have been a lot of dramatic misunderstandings. But she wouldn't trade it in for anything. The bottom line was that Zach made her happy, and that's the most important thing sometimes.

**a/n: this story is over soon! This is also the longest story I have ever written, ever. It takes up a lot of time so I don't know if I'll ever write a story this long again. But nevertheless, I love this story and I'm glad some people out there do too! :)**

**Anyway, I'd like to update you with my life (lol I know I'm strange). So today I have to violate a social norm for my psychology class so you know what I am going to do? I am going to drag around a stuffed dog toy and pretend it's real. Yay psychology! Haha. **

**Please leave a review and have a great day!**


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